kingnovel Chapter 1001 News
Chapter 1001 News
The expressions on their faces changed slightly. Wang Rong was the first to react and stepped forward, wanting to explain.
The crown prince didn't give them a chance; he only glanced at them before going upstairs.
But things won't end there.
Upon reaching the top floor, Fang Tong saw the Crown Prince instructing his subordinates: "The children are ignorant; let their families teach them more."
The secret guard ordered to retreat.
Fang Tong rolled his eyes inwardly. What a bunch of kids. Those scions of noble families look about the same age as the Crown Prince.
The Crown Prince is too lazy to teach them a lesson himself, and he's trying to take advantage of them.
He's really cunning.
Although Fang Tong himself was also ruthless, he wanted a sincere son-in-law who would listen to Zhizhi in everything.
He was pleased that he had found yet another reason to refuse the crown prince.
Unbeknownst to him, he had already begun to consider the Crown Prince as his future son-in-law.
This is exactly what the Crown Prince wanted to achieve.
Once a window of truth is broken, people start to overthink.
Thinking more is the first step.
The three of them only ordered three dishes because Fang Nanzhi was worried that the street food would fill her stomach.
She leaned against the window, looking at the lanterns on the street, her eyes filled with starlight.
Looking at the scenery from a high vantage point, my mood was indeed different. I was no longer just a tiny person on the long street, but an admirer.
"Your Highness, is there a moon-viewing banquet in the palace for the Lantern Festival?"
Fang Tong poured the Crown Prince a cup of tea, seemingly chatting casually.
"Hmm, too many Lantern Festival dumplings in the palace can get boring." The Crown Prince glanced at the tea, hesitant to drink it.
Uncle Fang is a very pragmatic person, but when it comes to matters concerning Zhizhi, it's a completely different story.
"Your Highness, how you celebrate a festival is not important. What matters is the people around you. The Lantern Festival is a festival for family reunion."
Fang Tong narrowed his eyes.
Even if it's out of filial piety, the crown prince should spend time with the emperor.
Qingyan understood his unspoken meaning and pondered for a moment before saying, "Uncle is right."
"Someone is coming."
As soon as he finished speaking, his bodyguards appeared silently.
"Go to the palace and ask if Father Emperor intends to leave the palace to celebrate the festival with me?"
"Yes." The guard acknowledged the order and withdrew.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Fang Tong choked on his tea. He wanted to send the boy back to the palace, not provoke another important figure.
Seeing his uncle like this, the crown prince felt a sense of joy in his heart for some reason.
He also personally poured tea and brought it to Fang Tong.
"Uncle, drink slowly. No matter how good the tea is, you can't choke."
Fang Tong finally caught his breath, but when he glanced at the teacup, he became even angrier.
Is this kid provoking him?
Fang Nanzhi was completely unaware of the undercurrents between the two men. After the innkeeper personally brought the dishes up, she sat down to eat with great interest.
"This smoked chicken has a fruity aroma?"
Fang Nanzhi munched on a chicken leg, and upon closer inspection, she could taste the difference.
"Yes, it's smoked with special fruitwood, a new dish from Wanbaolou recently." Seeing that she was satisfied with the food, the Crown Prince's expression softened.
He doesn't often eat out of the palace, but because he had made a reservation in advance to take Zhizhi to Wanbaolou, he even made a special trip to learn about the dishes served there.
Fang Tong couldn't stand his smugness, so he picked up a shrimp, peeled it, and put it in his daughter's bowl.
"The shrimp we're eating are bigger than the ones we buy ourselves."
At this time of year, the shrimp are not very fresh, and it's a bit difficult to buy live shrimp.
Fang Nanzhi was too busy to speak, she just nodded.
Wanbaolou has a renowned reputation, so it must have genuine craftsmanship.
The private room was bustling with activity, but when Wang Rong and his group left Wanbaolou, their faces were grim.
Fighting for a top-floor spot wouldn't normally be a big deal, but some of them said some really nasty things.
The young masters were slightly taken aback when they saw Wang Rong get into the carriage without saying a word.
"Brother Wang, are you returning to the manor so soon?"
Even if Wanbaolou is full, we can just go to another restaurant. The excitement tonight is just beginning!
It's not that just because he met the Crown Prince, he would...
The crown prince didn't punish them either.
Wang Rong glanced at them coldly: "You should all go back to your residence and apologize as soon as possible. That person is not easy to talk to."
After saying that, the prince's carriage left.
Several other people looked at each other.
"What does this mean? Is the Crown Prince going to retaliate against us?"
"It can't be that serious. Brother Wang is just used to being cautious. There are so many of us here, and it wasn't intentional. What could possibly happen?"
This "careful habit" is quite ironic.
Despite his current success, Wang Rong was an illegitimate child before he returned to the Wang family.
Those who are not respectable must be treated with utmost care.
The others didn't respond to him, even though they agreed in their hearts.
In the end, the group changed their destination and went to a brothel.
They were only playing for half a day when their respective servants called them back to their residences, where they were beaten with a rod and then made to kneel in the ancestral hall.
Wang Rong didn't get punished; he was the young clan leader and was deeply favored by his father.
The father and son were discussing matters in the study.
"You mean, His Highness is accompanied by Lord Fang and his daughter?"
The clan leader frowned slightly.
"Yes, Father. I heard that my second brother is on good terms with Lord Fang's son."
Wang Rong said respectfully.
The second brother he mentioned was, of course, Wang Gong. As for the "hearsay," that was something he had sent people to investigate.
Chief Wang knew this, but he didn't take it seriously at first. Only a son of a minor official like Wang Gong, who was good for nothing, would think about associating with others.
Unexpectedly, such an insignificant person was able to act as a go-between, allowing the second son to catch the eye of the crown prince.
"Why does Your Highness regard Fang Tong and his daughter so highly?" The royal patriarch frowned.
Fang Tong was nothing special; he hadn't even read all the Four Books and Five Classics.
Even if Fang Nanzhi saved the Crown Prince's life, she was still just a doctor.
Why give them so much credit?
"My son doesn't know, but people from small places always have a knack for pleasing others."
Wang Rong's words were pointed.
"Although the Fang family girl is young, she is already quite beautiful."
Fang Nanzhi is Chen Zixi's daughter, so she will definitely be good-looking in the future.
“Your fifth sister is thirteen years old this year,” the clan chief said thoughtfully.
Perhaps the crown prince prefers younger children?
“Father, Fifth Sister is too innocent and carefree; I’m afraid she’s not suitable.” Wang Rong deliberately brought up this topic, but then hesitated: “The Wang family does need someone to stand by the Crown Prince’s side, but we already have Second Brother…”
To have a better relationship with the Crown Prince, one either needs to have a member of one's clan who is favored by him, or one needs to send women to the Eastern Palace.
"Him?" The patriarch's brows furrowed even more.
"Something that is more likely to cause trouble than to accomplish anything."
He had no opinion of the second son at all. He had temporarily caught the Crown Prince's eye by taking crooked paths, but he would never amount to anything in the future.
"If you apologize to the Crown Prince later, it might give your fifth sister a chance."
The clan chief made the final decision.
He couldn't let his son take his daughter to the East Palace; the purpose would be too obvious.
It would be better to arrange a meeting with the Crown Prince and then "accidentally" meet his daughter, so as not to appear too eager.
These words cannot be said explicitly, but Wang Rong already understood.
He complied.
Neither the father nor the son took the Fang family father and daughter seriously.
There's no other reason than that Fang Nanzhi's status is too low; what can she use to compete with the daughter of the Wang family?
At Wanbaolou, Fang Nanzhi ate until she was about 70-80% full and waited for the hawthorn soup to cool down.
The crown prince put down his chopsticks and asked, "How's your memorization going?"
Fang Nanzhi raised her eyebrows confidently, but said modestly, "It's nothing special, I'll remember it."
His little face, trying so hard to suppress his smugness, is really quite amusing.
"Well, finish your studies well and don't get punished by Mr. Deng. You'll be very busy later." There was a hint of doting in the Crown Prince's eyes.
Fang Nanzhi understood and immediately sat up straight.
"Is it Physician Xing's memorial? Has it been approved?"
"It's almost done. We'll have the results in another day or two," the Crown Prince told her.
"This is the first time that the Imperial Medical Academy has collaborated with the Six Ministries on such a large scale. Only if we do it well can we have a future."
If they don't do a good job, then the imperial physicians will still just be the royal family's personal doctors.
Physician Xing was well prepared, with the support of the Crown Prince. Fang Yin wrote a letter to his army, stating that many soldiers had suffered from hidden dangers due to injuries sustained on the battlefield, and several other generals also wanted to provide free medical consultations.
The emperor had always been considerate of his soldiers and did not think there was anything wrong with this memorial.
After all this fuss, it really is a fight. On the surface, it's the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Imperial Medical Academy arguing about the expenses for the free clinic.
The Ministry of War wanted to provide free medical services, but they were reluctant to spend too much money. Of course, if they had money, they would have already paid the soldiers their full salaries and let them take care of their own medical needs.
The Ministry of Revenue manages the national treasury, and every expense of the imperial court comes from them. Therefore, they are very meticulous and stingy, and any extra expense must be offset by a reduction in other areas.
As for the Imperial Medical Academy, their daily operations were funded by the emperor's private treasury, so they were always strapped for cash.
Even if the Imperial Medical Academy were to cover all the expenses for the free clinics, the emperor himself wouldn't be too willing to do so.
A three-way struggle ensues, with others muddying the waters.
This is only the apparent conflict. Behind the scenes, many court officials are acting out of self-interest. For example, some believe that the Imperial Medical Academy's interference in the Ministry of War is overstepping its bounds, while others simply dislike the Crown Prince and want to stop whatever he wants to do.
It is precisely because of the covert struggles that this matter has been delayed in being settled.
The Crown Prince made no attempt to hide anything and recounted all these open and covert struggles.
Fang Tong didn't quite understand, so he lowered his voice and said, "Aren't some adults too selfish? They have to think so much about something that's clearly a good thing, and mix in their own interests."
If the imperial court continues like this, things will be far too slow.
Fang Nanzhi shook her head: "Father, it's not what they think it is, nor is it purely for personal gain."
"When you look at something from a different perspective, you will see it differently. Whether it is good or bad is hard to say for sure."
Fang Tong didn't quite understand.
Fang Nanzhi gave him an example: "For instance, I once read a storybook where a dynasty was nearing its end, and a flood occurred in one of its territories. The court discussed whether to provide disaster relief, and they discussed it many times."
"The prime minister at the time was strongly opposed to disaster relief."
Fang Tong was stunned. Someone was going to oppose something as simple as providing relief to disaster victims? The prime minister of a nation was actually opposing it?
"Did the imperial court provide disaster relief afterwards?" the crown prince asked, equally curious.
"Ah."
Fang Nanzhi nodded.
"The imperial court did provide disaster relief, but that last dynasty was already corrupt, and no official, from top to bottom, was not greedy."
“When the disaster relief grain was transported out, it was intercepted at every checkpoint. By the time it reached the people, it was full of sand.”
"On the contrary, it exacerbated the suffering of the people, and uprisings broke out in various places, leading to a complete change of dynasty."
"The reason why the Prime Minister disagreed with disaster relief was because he had anticipated this: the imperial grain was still entirely fed to worms."
Actually, this isn't a storybook; it's a history book from a certain world that she's reading on the system—a history that actually happened.
The crown prince frowned as he listened. Corruption was not uncommon, and it even occurred in this dynasty.
Whenever the imperial court makes a major move, there are bound to be corrupt officials involved. However, they don't take much. As Zhizhi said, the disaster relief grain ended up being wasted, which shows that the dynasty had completely lost control over the local areas.
Its decline is only a matter of time.
"Therefore, whether something is a merit or a demerit can only be judged by future generations," Fang Nanzhi concluded.
Fang Tong understood: "So we don't know now whether the military camp's free medical clinic will be good for the future, or whether we should continue doing it."
Otherwise, it would become a futile effort, or even a bad thing.
“Uncle, how can we give up eating because of a minor setback?” the Crown Prince said. “The outcome is for future generations to judge, but we must take this step. Even if we make a mistake, future generations will learn from our experience.”
In the long river of history, were all the decisions made by our predecessors correct?
No, people themselves forge their own paths through exploration.
Even a wrong path isn't entirely useless; it can eventually become a guide to the right one.
Fang Nanzhi nodded: "Father, as long as we stick to our original intentions and principles when we do things now, that's enough."
Fang Tong nodded absently.
He felt that he hadn't read enough books, and his thoughts and ideas weren't on the same level as his two children.
Does this mean we can't just read agricultural books anymore?
But reading really takes a lot of brainpower.
After eating and drinking their fill, the three went downstairs, but the shopkeeper refused to accept their money.
"Our boss instructed that Miss Fang should eat at the restaurant for free."
In fact, Wansheng wanted to give half of Wanbaolou to Zhizhi and the other half to his adopted son.
But he feared that the branches wouldn't accept him, so he could only proceed slowly.
"Today is my treat," the Crown Prince said, glancing at him.
Fang Nanzhi felt embarrassed to eat for free, especially bringing others along to eat for free. Why should she?
She thought for a moment and nodded: "Yes, Your Highness is of noble character and should not take advantage of the common people."
The shopkeeper was startled and quickly said, "Miss Fang is too kind. His Highness is a man of noble character and integrity. It is our honor that Wanbaolou can entertain His Highness and Miss Fang."
Can the word "taking advantage" be used to describe the crown prince?
Miss Fang is really outspoken.
The crown prince had no patience to argue, so he left his guards to settle the bill and then left.
After leaving Wanbaolou, the third floor leads to the center of the street to see the lighthouse.
As soon as I entered, I saw people surrounding the area in layers, making this place the most lively.
Fortunately, the lighthouse is really tall. I don't know how it was built, but it's about ten meters tall and has six stories.
The spire is adorned with a large, eight-treasure glass lamp, engraved with various patterns, making it particularly eye-catching.
"So exquisite, so beautiful."
Fang Nanzhi craned her neck to look.
"It looks so expensive, they even use glass to make the lamp."
Fang Tong also commented: "Such an expensive lamp, hung so high, it would be such a pity if it broke."
"Look, has someone gone up there?" Fang Nanzhi stood on tiptoe and strained to see.
She was getting a little anxious. Being short was one of the downsides; you could only see other people's heads clearly.
"Hmm." The prince noticed her eagerness and his hands felt a little itchy.
He had already noticed that there were several men around him carrying their babies on their shoulders.
He felt he could also lift the branches high, but unfortunately, men and women are different.