Crowned by the Treacherous Big Shot
Chapter 225 - 209: The Miao King Has Arrived

Chapter 225: Chapter 209: The Miao King Has Arrived

Bai Yuwei asked a guard for a horse and left without looking back.

Behind her, Xun Yu hurriedly stepped down from his carriage and walked over to Bai Qingchen’s carriage, asking worriedly, "Young Master Bai, what happened? Where is Miss Bai planning to go?"

Bai Qingchen sighed helplessly. "She had an argument with me and went off to find Grandfather."

Xun Yu did not immediately inquire about the Miao King’s arrival in the Capital City but instead said with concern, "I’ll go after her to take a look. Rest assured, Young Master Bai, I will bring Miss Bai back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion safely."

Bai Qingchen, knowing his sister was furious, thought it would indeed be better for Xun Yu to intervene and said, "I’ll leave it to you, Lord Xun."

Xun Yu also asked for a horse and quickly galloped after Bai Yuwei.

"Miss Bai!"

Bai Yuwei snorted coldly. "You’re here to scold me too, aren’t you?"

Xun Yu chuckled. "Miss Bai misunderstood. I simply wanted to accompany you for a stroll. It’s my fault for not investigating Meng Xiaojiu’s talents thoroughly, which led to her deceiving you."

Bai Yuwei slowed her horse and began to trot leisurely down the street. "Now that’s more like it! I only took those wild shots because I’d heard she wasn’t skilled at archery. If I could go back, I would never lose to her!"

Xun Yu replied in a gentle tone, "I believe in Miss Bai. Miss Bai does not practice the Gu arts and so refrained from coercion, whereas she, clearly adept at archery, chose to lie about it. Who has true integrity is plain to see."

"Now that’s something I like to hear!" Bai Yuwei, cheered up, said, "Let me take you to find my Grandfather!"

Xun Yu looked shocked. "The Miao King has entered the Capital City?"

Bai Yuwei beamed brightly. "Not yet, but I know where he is! I’m going to surprise him! Grandfather adores me; he’ll be so happy to see me!"

Xun Yu suppressed his excitement and cautiously asked, "Might the Prime Minister’s Mansion have the honor of hosting the Miao King?"

Bai Yuwei said confidently, "Wherever my brother and I are, my Grandfather will stay too! However, my Grandfather dislikes noise."

Xun Yu immediately responded, "Miss Bai, rest assured. While the Miao King is at the mansion, there will be no banquets, and no one will disturb his peace. I will also disband the opera troupe at once."

Bai Yuwei nodded approvingly. "That would be perfect!"

Xun Yu inquired, "Does the Miao King have any other preferences?"

"Let me think... Oh, my Grandfather likes..."

Bai Yuwei proceeded to share various likes and dislikes of the Miao King with Xun Yu.

Xun Yu noted them all down and, passing by one of his family’s shops, promptly instructed the staff to send word back to the Prime Minister’s Mansion to prepare for a grand welcome for the Miao King.

-

The scorching sun blazed down; the afternoon’s farmland was a misty sea of heat rising to the heavens.

The young Emperor, dragged by Lu Yuan to farm all morning, was miserably overheated, collapsed on a ridge, gulping for air, entirely devoid of dignity.

Lu Yuan walked toward him with a cold melon in hand.

Dressed in coarse farmer’s apparel after changing out of his luxurious garments on the carriage, Lu Yuan revealed strong, sturdy arms, his pants rolled high, complemented by rough straw sandals.

He didn’t look like an official at all—much more like someone who lived off the land.

"Already done in?"

Lu Yuan glanced at Zong Zhengxi with a half-smile. "There are still two acres of melons waiting to be picked over there."

Zong Zhengxi was on the verge of tears. "I can’t carry on anymore! Are you trying to work me to death so you can seize my throne? Fine! Take it! Take it all!"

Lu Yuan smacked his head. "Useless brat!"

Zong Zhengxi cried out indignantly. "Your hand is dirty!"

Lu Yuan glanced at his hand. "Hmm, it is indeed dirty."

He then wiped it several times on Zong Zhengxi’s face and clothes.

Zong Zhengxi: "..."

They shared the cold melon between them.

The melon, freshly picked from the field, was warm, not sliced into elegant fruit platters. Zong Zhengxi simply held it and gnawed away, not caring at all about appearances.

For some reason, he thought this melon tasted better than the ice-chilled ones in the palace.

Lu Yuan smiled faintly. "A melon is a melon. The difference lies in Your Majesty now understanding its value. When eating it, you savor it more, and that’s why it tastes better."

Zong Zhengxi reflected thoughtfully, murmuring, "Am I this way with you too?"

Lu Yuan: "What is Your Majesty saying?"

"Nothing!" Zong Zhengxi’s eyes darted away as he buried his head in the melon. "Just eat your melon!"

As the two were cooling down with the melon, a commotion arose not far away.

"Old Zhang, didn’t you say someone would deliver us a new plow today? It’s already so late—where’s the plow?"

"Yeah, Old Zhang, everyone’s waiting! You’re not lying to us, are you?"

The old farmer addressed as Old Zhang said anxiously, "That young gentleman promised he’d send it. How would I know he hasn’t? Maybe it’s still early; let’s wait a bit longer?"

An auntie shouted loudly, "Wait any longer, and it’ll be dark! Who plows fields in the dark?"

Zong Zhengxi, utterly confused, muttered, "What pear? Are there already pears to eat?"

Pears weren’t supposed to be in season until autumn or winter, right?

Lu Yuan explained, "It’s an iron plow—a farming tool."

With that, he placed the half-eaten melon softly on the ridge and walked toward the farmers.

Zong Zhengxi, not knowing how to interact with rural folk, watched from afar.

He couldn’t hear the entire exchange but caught terms like "blacksmith" and "shovel."

Soon, Old Zhang handed Lu Yuan a steel shovel. Lu Yuan removed the head of the shovel, compared it to a tool, shook his head, and asked Yu Zichuan to fetch an iron sheet from the carriage.

Zong Zhengxi had no idea what the iron sheet was originally for, but in Lu Yuan’s hands, it seemed to have countless uses.

Lu Yuan hammered and shaped the sheet with precision.

Zong Zhengxi gaped. "He knows blacksmithing too?"

Finally, Lu Yuan affixed the worked iron sheet to a tool, brought over an ox, and plowed two acres in one go.

"So this is plowing a field."

Zong Zhengxi felt he had learned something new today.

At the same time, his curiosity toward Lu Yuan deepened. "How does he know everything?"

"Young man, are you married?"

A middle-aged woman’s eyes sparkled as she asked Lu Yuan.

Before Lu Yuan could answer, Zong Zhengxi hurriedly rushed over with the melon in hand. "Hey, hey, hey! That’s not allowed!"

-

This year, the Capital City was hotter than usual, and Bai Yuwei felt like she was about to melt.

Xun Yu hired the most luxurious and spacious carriage from the carriage shop and spent a large sum to buy a basin of ice to place inside for Bai Yuwei. He even hired a maid to fan her along the way.

Feeling cooled down, Bai Yuwei leaned back in the carriage and soon fell asleep.

On the way, they encountered an old farmer sitting by the roadside.

The old farmer, clearly overheated, was fanning himself with a straw hat and waving to Xun Yu’s group.

The coachman, being a kind soul, got down to ask the old farmer what he needed.

The old farmer replied, panting, "It’s too hot—I can’t go on anymore. Can you give me a ride?"

Xun Yu tossed a silver ingot out of the carriage.

The coachman understood his employer’s intention. As merely a driver, he dared not make decisions on behalf of his guest, so he simply drove on.

At dusk.

Zong Zhengxi, utterly exhausted from the day’s farm work, climbed into the carriage crying.

He was simply too tired—completely, utterly drained!

On the way back, they too encountered the old farmer.

Lu Yuan instructed Yu Zichuan to ask what had happened.

Yu Zichuan reported, "He says he’s too worn-out to walk and would like a ride."

Lu Yuan said, "Let him up."

After giving the instructions, he stared intently at the sobbing Zong Zhengxi.

Zong Zhengxi whined, "What are you looking at me for? Can’t I cry? You’re the one who’s tormenting me!"

Lu Yuan deadpanned, "The carriage is small. I was thinking you should scoot over and make some room."

Zong Zhengxi stomped a foot angrily but tearfully slid to the side.

That stomp was the last shred of defiance from him as Emperor!

The old farmer climbed into the carriage and plopped down decisively, occupying most of the bench.

Zong Zhengxi was left flabbergasted.

Since when did hitchhiking involve such brazenness?

Good thing he was a patient Emperor—if it had been one of his imperial brothers, they’d have dragged this man out for execution on the spot.

Then again, his imperial brothers wouldn’t have even let a dusty old farmer up onto their carriage in the first place.

Lu Yuan scrutinized the old farmer. "Where are you headed, elder?"

The old farmer asked, "Hmm? Where are you going?"

Lu Yuan replied, "We’re heading to the Capital City. If it’s on the way, we’ll drop you off."

The old farmer, however, kept dodging the question and suddenly pointed to Zong Zhengxi. "Is that your little brother?"

Zong Zhengxi turned his face away. "I—I’m not! I don’t have a brother like him!"

The old farmer patted his stomach. "I’m hungry."

Lu Yuan glanced at the snacks and tea on the table. "Help yourself."

"Don’t mind if I do!"

The old farmer grabbed the teapot and drank directly from it.

Zong Zhengxi had never seen anyone eat so unceremoniously. As the Emperor, people around him were always on their best behavior.

He swallowed hard.

After an entire day of work, he was starving too.

But the last piece of pastry soon disappeared into the old farmer’s belly.

Zong Zhengxi felt even more like crying.

The old farmer noticed his pitiful expression, patted his own now-stuffed belly, and said to Lu Yuan, "Oh dear, I’ve accidentally eaten your little brother’s food. Tell you what—once we reach the Capital City, I’ll treat you to a good meal!"

Zong Zhengxi choked. "The food in the Capital City is expensive."

This trip had taught him how hard it was for commoners to earn a living. A year’s worth of labor might not even pay for one meal at a restaurant.

The old farmer pulled a shiny silver ingot from his pocket. "A young master I met earlier gave this to me—don’t you think he’s a kindhearted fellow?"

Dusk settled over the land.

Xun Yu’s carriage finally arrived at the relay station Bai Yuwei had mentioned.

"What are you saying? My Grandfather left? He went to the Capital City alone?"

Bai Yuwei looked incredulously at the Miaojiang guards at the station.

The Guard Commander, puzzled, said, "Miss Yuwei, didn’t you meet him on the way?"

There was only one official road between the station and the Capital City, and the timing matched up, too.

Bai Yuwei frowned. "No! Lord Xun, did you see my Grandfather on the way?"

Xun Yu thought back. On the road, the only person he had seen was an old farmer holding a straw hat.

His expression changed. "Could it be—"

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