Read Novel Full Chapter 941 - 57: His Highness Is Calculating
Chapter 941: Chapter 57: His Highness Is Calculating
In the study of Prince Han’s Mansion, Xiao Jin and Lai Qian were chirping incessantly, reporting the news they had gathered to Zhao Yao.
Xiao Jin and the others had been away from the Swamp Prefecture for quite some time. During this period, they had heard a lot in the capital city.
After listening to Xiao Jin and the others, Zhao Yao’s expression was unreadable.
Noticing Zhao Yao’s displeasure, Xiao Jin tilted its little head and asked concernedly, "Yao Yao, what’s wrong? Why are you unhappy?"
Zhao Yao reached out to stroke Xiao Jin’s little head and said gently, "I’m fine. I just didn’t expect the situation in the capital to be so complex." The current state of the capital was expected, but he hadn’t anticipated being manipulated.
Lai Qian nuzzled Zhao Yao’s face, "Yao Yao, you’re not in the capital, don’t be afraid!"
Xiao Jin said, "I will protect you!"
Zhao Yao smiled and said, "With you protecting me, I’ll definitely be fine."
Hearing Zhao Yao say this, Xiao Jin and Lai Qian puffed up with pride.
"That’s right, we will definitely protect you and not let you be bullied."
Zhao Yao gently patted their backs, letting them go out to play.
Xiao Jin and Lai Qian flapped their wings and flew out to find their playmates.
Zhao Yao walked to the window, gazing at the moon in the distant night sky, a cold smile gradually appearing on his face. They schemed against him, so he would play along.
Knock knock knock... Tong Xi’s voice sounded outside the door, "Your Highness, Tong An and Ding Shan have returned."
Zhao Yao snapped back to reality, dispelling the coldness in his eyes and once again showing his usual smile.
"Let them in."
Tong Xi brought Tong An and the others inside.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Zhao Yao stepped forward and helped Tong An and Ding Shan to their feet.
"Please rise."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After standing up, Tong An’s eyes were red, while Ding Shan looked at Zhao Yao with a silly grin.
Now, Ding Shan had grown as large as a mountain, his face full of fat, but the naive expression on his face immediately dispelled any intimidating aura. If he didn’t smile and kept a stern face, he would look very menacing and frightening.
"It seems your journey went smoothly." Tong An and Ding Shan had been traveling around the Lingnan region for several years. Each year, Tong An would draw a map to present to Zhao Yao. Now, Tong An had drawn seven or eight maps of Lingnan’s prefectures for Zhao Yao.
"Thanks to Your Highness’s blessing, the two of us were able to travel safely." After Tong An finished speaking, he had Ding Shan hand Zhao Yao a long, slender wooden box from his back.
Zhao Yao took the wooden box, not rushing to open it, but instead inquiring about their journey with concern.
Tong Xi served tea and snacks. The snacks were prepared for Ding Shan.
Tong An briefly recounted the occurrences of their journey to Zhao Yao, after which he handed over a "notebook" in which he had recorded what he had seen and heard along the way to Zhao Yao.
The "notebook" was something Zhao Yao had given to Tong An, instructing him to jot down anything interesting he observed or heard during his travels. Of course, he could also note any injustices encountered along the way.
Seeing it was getting late, Zhao Yao asked Tong An and the others to rest first, deciding to discuss the remaining matters the next day.
After Tong An and the others left, Zhao Yao took out the map from the wooden box. It was a map of Qinzhou.
Out of the twelve prefectures of Lingnan, maps of four prefectures remained uncharted.
After escorting Tong An and the others out, Tong Xi returned to Zhao Yao’s side and looked at the map together.
"Your Highness, Tong An is really amazing. This map is drawn so well, so detailed."
The map was detailed, depicting mountains, rivers, and cities.
"Your Highness, you’re the amazing one for recognizing Tong An’s talent early on."
"I have a discerning eye," Zhao Yao said, glancing over Qinzhou’s map to gain some understanding of its topography.
Seeing Zhao Yao’s fingers tapping on Qinzhou’s map, Tong Xi’s expression turned peculiar, "Your Highness, you aren’t planning to eliminate Qinzhou’s officials next, are you?"
"What do you mean by eliminate? I’m not a maniac," Zhao Yao carefully put away the Qinzhou map, giving an annoyed glance at Tong Xi, "I call it handling them according to the law."
"Your Highness, while you’re handling them according to the law, no officials remain after your handling," Tong Xi reminded Zhao Yao, "Don’t forget, the court ministers accuse you of being a mass murderer, try to restrain yourself."
"I only dealt with officials guilty of heinous crimes," Zhao Yao dismissed the issue of being accused by court ministers indifferently, "Why don’t those bored ministers in the court help the people of Lingnan find justice? Why aren’t Lingnan’s officials accused of countless murders? Why do they allow officials to murder innocent people indiscriminately, but not allow me to handle them according to the law?"