The Frontier Prince: Starting From Scratch - Chapter 13 - Grand Plans

After walking around the interconnected courtyards, Zhao Xu made a decision. The current Prince’s Mansion was too small to accommodate much. But with the three courtyards combined, it was quite spacious. He could easily place the small government office he planned to establish within the Prince’s Mansion.

Most importantly, the silver from the art of ice making was clearly insufficient to meet his needs for developing the fief. The potential profits from selling ice in the south were still uncertain. After all, the art of ice making was too easily leaked; if each family could recoup their investment and make a slight profit before the technique was disclosed, that would be fortunate.

For the Prince’s Mansion to have a steady and substantial income, it needed to rely on other profitable goods with difficult-to-replicate techniques. To experiment with these things, he naturally needed space. And the safest place was still the Prince’s Mansion.

Xu Lie dispatched guards as instructed. Zhao Xu returned to the Prince’s Mansion and waited in the guest hall of the central courtyard. Before long, three young men entered the mansion.

“I am Dong An, I am Yang He, I am Lu Chang. Greetings, Your Highness,” the three young men bowed respectfully.

“Rise,” Zhao Xu gestured casually. Among them, Dong An was short, plump, and fair-skinned, dressed in a blue silk robe. Yang He was tall and thin, wearing a yellow brocade garment. Lu Chang was of medium height, well-built, and clad in a purple robe.

“Your Highness, ordinarily, the Prince’s Mansion’s gracious invitation would warrant my father’s personal visit. However, my father thought that, given my age, I would be more suitable for conversation with Your Highness, avoiding any dullness,” Dong An explained.

“When Your Highness’s envoy arrived, I was at the Dong Family. This courtyard was partly funded by the Yang Family, so I dared to come along, hoping Your Highness would not mind,” Yang He added.

Lu Chang seemed more interested in Xu Lie, who was dressed in military attire beside Zhao Xu. After the other two spoke, he finally looked at Zhao Xu.

“No worries, no worries,” Zhao Xu assured them, instructing servants to offer seats to the three and maids to serve tea.

He understood the intentions of the Dong, Yang, and Lv Families-hoping to leverage the ease of conversation among young people to familiarize their sons with Zhao Xu. This approach was more effective than direct involvement from the families.

After sipping his tea, Zhao Xu decided not to beat around the bush. “The reason I invited you here today is quite simple: I wish to repurchase the courtyards on either side of the Prince’s Mansion at the original price. What do you think?”

The three exchanged glances. Dong An smiled, “Ah, so that’s the matter. I can decide to give the courtyard to the Prince’s Mansion without charge.”

Yang He and Lu Chang nodded in agreement, “We feel the same.”

When Prince Yan first arrived in Yan Prefecture, they did not value a mad prince, which is why they dared to buy the courtyards adjacent to the Prince’s Mansion. They hadn’t spent much silver at the time, merely around eight thousand taels combined.

Now that Prince Yan had returned to normal, how could they dare to utilize those courtyards? It was better to offer them as a goodwill gesture.

“Oh, I couldn’t possibly accept,” Zhao Xu feigned reluctance, inwardly pleased. It seemed these three families were now determined to establish good relations with the Prince’s Mansion. This would make his strategy to win over and divide the regional magnates of Yan Prefecture feasible.

“Please, Your Highness, you must accept. Otherwise, we would feel uneasy,” Dong An, adept at conversation, quickly adopted a friendly demeanor.

“I feel the same,” Lu Chang echoed.

Yang He nodded.

Zhao Xu smiled, surprised at how easily the matter was resolved. The four sat together, the atmosphere harmonious.

Dong An suggested, “I can send a servant to fetch the land deed for the courtyard. It’s nearly noon, and the long summer days can be quite dull. Perhaps Your Highness would be interested in visiting Jinlin Pond in the north city to cool off?”

Zhao Xu initially thought to decline. However, realizing he had yet to explore Yan City since arriving in Yan Prefecture, he reconsidered. Otherwise, he might as well be a recluse. Moreover, the situation in Yan Prefecture was becoming increasingly concerning to him.

The Zhang, Huang, and Du families held significant power. The prefect of Yan Prefecture hailed from the Zhang Family. The judicial overseer responsible for law enforcement was from the Huang Family. Even more troubling, the military commandant of the three thousand prefectural troops was a member of the Du Family. It was no wonder these families looked down on and resented Prince Yan’s Mansion. Without Prince Yan’s Mansion, they would be the undisputed rulers of Yan Prefecture.

Thus, under such circumstances, it was crucial for Zhao Xu to ally with the Dong, Yang, and Lu families. From what he understood, these families were relatively untainted compared to the Zhang Family faction in Yan Prefecture.

“Very well, I was just thinking of doing that,” Zhao Xu said, rising to his feet.

The three young men were visibly excited. Their decision to risk offending the Zhang, Huang, and Du families by aligning with Prince Yan’s Mansion was born out of necessity. Initially, the power disparity among the regional magnates in Yan Prefecture was not too great. While they had clashed over interests, it had not escalated to a point of no return.

However, everything changed when Zhang Qian’s brother, Zhang Kang, married an illegitimate daughter from the Yuan Family of Fanyang Prefecture in Yan Province. The Yuan Family was no ordinary regional magnate. Besides the provincial governor being a Yuan, five of the seven prefectures in Yan Province had prefects who were either members or retainers of the Yuan Family. Moreover, legitimate members of the Yuan Family held positions in the capital and the Dasong Dynasty’s military.

With the Yuan Family’s backing, the Zhang Family quickly rose to prominence, easily seizing control of Yan Prefecture alongside the Huang and Du families. Since then, they had been competing with and suppressing other families, seemingly intent on absorbing their wealth.

Before Prince Yan’s arrival, these families could only watch helplessly as their interests were eroded. But now, with Prince Yan back to his senses, they saw a glimmer of hope for protecting their interests.

The group left Prince’s Mansion and stepped onto the bustling streets. The sights of Yan City unfolded before them. Among the seven prefectures in Yan Province, Yan Prefecture was the poorest. It bordered the Yan Mountains to the north, Fanyang Prefecture to the south, and had some coastal areas to the southeast.

As Zhao Xu walked through Yan City, he was struck by the desolation. On the main street, the people selling goods were mostly emaciated, their ribs visible beneath their thin frames. Their clothing was similar to the rags worn by those who had visited Prince’s Mansion, barely qualifying as garments.

Their faces bore no smiles, only the marks of hardship. This was the reality of life for ordinary people during times of chaos and war in ancient times. In an era of low productivity and scarce resources, mere survival was a challenge.

Dong An, Yang He, and Lu Chang followed Zhao Xu, chatting and laughing without noticing the gravity in Zhao Xu’s eyes. They seemed accustomed to the scene.

After a long walk and a left turn onto another street, the drab tones of Yan City suddenly gave way to vibrant colors and life.

“Your Highness, we’ve arrived at Jinlin Pond,” Dong An said, pointing to a long, winding lake ahead.

The sunlight glinted off the water, casting golden reflections. A gentle breeze stirred the surface, making it shimmer like scales of gold. On the banks of Jinlin Pond, lush willows provided shade, and elegant pavilions with red railings and jade tiles lined the shore, from which melodious singing occasionally drifted.

On the lake, pleasure boats glided leisurely, and through the swaying bead curtains, glimpses of women in colorful attire could be seen drinking with young masters from the regional magnates.

“The common folk of Yan Prefecture are struggling, while the regional magnates revel in luxury,” Zhao Xu thought, the stark contrast leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. His fief could not become a playground for the few.

As Prince Yan, he had a duty to his people. Otherwise, how was he different from these magnates? To realize this grand vision, he needed to gain control of Yan Prefecture and plan his fief according to his ideals.

But to control Yan Prefecture, he first needed a formidable army and substantial wealth for development.

“Silver, always silver.”

As Zhao Xu pondered, a new idea for making money emerged. This idea was slightly more complex than the art of ice making but promised even greater profits.