There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 468 The Magistrate's Test

The mountain people, as if waking from a dream, rushed back to their camp, and soon brought out the best they could offer.

The dried meat strips looked even drier and harder than the ones they got during the last robbery.

Treasured wild fruit preserves

Rough but clean drinking water

Several women even brought out coarse cloth, which they were reluctant to use but which was still relatively brightly colored, to give to the female members of the delegation.

Looking at these simple, even somewhat clumsy, expressions of gratitude, Li Shuchen felt a warm glow in his heart, yet also a touch of bittersweetness.

She jumped off the carriage, took a few withered wild fruits strung together with grass stems from a child, took a bite, and grimaced.

"Mmm! Sweet! Chewy! Thank you!"

Princess Changning also accepted the piece of coarse cloth, and unusually, she didn't complain. Instead, she thanked her earnestly.

Gu Ziying and Ye Bingli then took out some commonly used ointments and candies that they carried with them and distributed them to the children and elderly people who gathered around.

A campfire was lit in the center of the camp. Although the food was simple, the atmosphere was incredibly warm and lively.

The mountain people surrounded the delegation, bombarding them with questions about the details of the trade.

Where is it located?

When will it open?

How are taxes calculated?

How much grain could they exchange for the stones they quarried?

One question after another, filled with anticipation for the future.

campfire at night

The group sat in a circle, chatting idly.

After a harrowing ordeal in the Kingdom of Boyu, the Tenth Prince had noticeably shed much of his impetuousness and spoiled nature.

He was still dressed in the brocade robes of a prince, but as he sat on the rough wooden stake and chatted with the few young mountain villagers who had gathered around, his demeanor became much more natural.

"Your Highness, what else do you think we can do besides digging for stones? Now that the trade market has opened, we need some other way to make a living, right?"

A young man named Amur scratched his head and asked...

The tenth prince munched on a piece of dried meat (surprisingly, he didn't seem to mind), thought for a moment, and said...

"You are guarding the Heavenly Threshold, which is one of the main routes to the Kingdom of Boyu. Once the trade market opens, the number of caravans will inevitably increase. In addition to selling local specialties, you can also provide 'intermediary services'."

"The middle...service?" the crowd asked, puzzled.

"It's about providing services to passing caravans."

The tenth prince patiently explained

"For example, opening inns... oh, you mean hotels, providing caravans with lodging, food, and supplies like water."

"For example, you could form a guard team or a guide team. Since you are familiar with the mountain roads, you could be hired to escort caravans safely through the most dangerous sections of the Tiankan Pass and receive a commission."

"Furthermore, repairing carriages, taking care of livestock...aren't these all ways to make a living? You can even take the unique herbs, wild game, and handwoven items from the mountains to the trade market to sell."

He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, even forgetting his status as a prince.

"This prince... uh, I suggest that you elect Chief Adul or Brother Amu to take the lead in organizing everyone and establishing a... um, 'Tianmenkou Mountain People's Cooperative'."

"By purchasing everyone's mountain produce in a unified manner and negotiating prices with external parties, we can avoid being pressured by individual merchants to lower prices. Profits can be distributed according to labor, and public funds can be set aside to repair roads, build houses, and hire teachers to teach children to read and do arithmetic."

His words were clear, logical, and realistic, even causing Liang Yuying and Ruan Jingshang to glance at him slightly, revealing expressions of surprise and approval.

They never expected that this prince, who used to only complain about the arduous journey and be picky about food and lodging, could come up with such a practical and constructive idea.

Adul and Amu listened with their eyes shining, as if enlightened. They had only thought about digging for treasure to exchange for food before, never imagining that they could do this kind of business.

"Your Highness! Your words are truly...truly golden! Every word you utter speaks to our hearts!" Adul exclaimed, so moved he was about to kneel again.

The tenth prince quickly stopped him, a slight blush creeping across his face.

"No, no, no, I learned from General Liang, Boss Ruan, and... Miss Li along the way. I've seen a lot, so this is just my wild guess. As for how to do it specifically, you'll have to figure it out yourselves. You can also consult experts like Boss Ruan," he said, pointing to Ruan Jingshang.

Ruan Jingshang nodded with a smile

“Your Highness’s suggestion is indeed a good one. I, Ruan, am willing to provide some business acumen and initial communication channels. If you have any questions or difficulties in the future, you can also ask someone to pass on a message.”

The young mountain people looked at the tenth prince with eyes full of admiration and affection.

This prince seems quite different from the high-ranking nobles I've heard of before.

Li Shuchen was munching on wild fruit not far away, watching the Tenth Prince being surrounded by a group of mountain people asking him questions, his face showing an unprecedented seriousness and sense of accomplishment. He secretly said to Princess Changning beside him...

"Tsk, I didn't expect this little prince to have such ideas. This trip, enduring hunger and cold, wasn't a waste."

Princess Changning snorted, but a smile played on her lips.

"At least he's starting to look like a prince, otherwise I'd be too ashamed to go back."

The campfire crackled, and laughter echoed through the valley.

That night, even the wind beneath the threshold of heaven seemed to carry a warm sense of hope.

After bidding a reluctant farewell to the mountain people, the delegation accepted the various dried mountain goods they insisted on giving them as a token of their goodwill, and then set off again.

As they crossed the threshold of the mountain, although the path remained treacherous, the group felt more confident and their steps became much lighter.

Ten days later

Within Purple Star

Yifeng County Post Station

The county magistrate had received news of the delegation's return to the capital and their passage through the county well in advance. Although he did not know the specifics of their achievements, he dared not neglect the grandeur of welcoming the envoy. He led his officials to wait respectfully at the Shili Pavilion outside the city and welcomed Liang Yuying and his party into the best inn in the city, where a banquet was held to welcome them.

At the banquet, amidst the clinking of glasses and the beaming of the magistrate, who wore a broad smile and uttered all sorts of flattering words.

"General Liang, you have had a long and arduous journey! You have ventured deep into the barren lands, demonstrating the might of Heaven, a feat of great merit to the nation! I admire you greatly! I wonder if your trip to the Kingdom of Boyu went smoothly? That barbaric little country must have witnessed the grandeur of our Celestial Empire and been awed into submission?"

Li Shuchen was just thinking that the banquet dishes, though exquisite, were rather bland compared to the grand feast in Boyu Kingdom, when he heard the county magistrate's words, which carried a clear sense of superiority and a probing tone.

With a quick glance, she put down her chopsticks, picked up a handkerchief, wiped away non-existent oil stains, and sighed slowly in a voice just loud enough for everyone at the table to hear:

"Smoothly? Oh dear, Your Excellency, please don't even mention it. You have no idea how the journey was."

The magistrate was delighted and hurriedly asked, "Oh? Has something gone wrong?"

Li Shuchen blinked her innocent, wide eyes.

"There weren't any major setbacks, it's just... it's too easy, so easy that it's a little unsettling."

"Easy?" the magistrate began to wonder.

"Yes!"

Li Shuchen counted on his fingers, his tone exaggerated.

"You see, along our journey, starting from the capital, we passed through the Foggy Mountain, where the fog was a bit thick; we climbed the Windbreak Ridge, which was just a bit tiring for the horses and a bit strenuous for us; and we crossed the Heavenly Throne, which was just a bit steep, and we almost slipped and fell a few times."

"When we arrived in the Kingdom of Boyu... well, at first the king was a bit aloof and didn't really want to see us, but then somehow he suddenly changed his mind and became incredibly easy to talk to! As soon as we mentioned trade, she immediately agreed! Signing the treaty was so quick! It was as easy as... as us picking a melon from his garden!"

She shrugged, giving me a helpless look.