In his previous life, Zheng Fan had watched various films and literary works set in ancient times. There was a phrase used so exceedingly often that, afterward, hearing it always made him cringe.
That phrase was: "What a pity I was born into the royal family!"
It was usually lamented by female characters, often with pitiful, helpless cries while biting their lower lip, typically in storylines about love over which they had no control.
As if to say, had they not been born into the royal family, they could have endured being born into a poor one—toiling in the fields from a young age, never having enough food or warm clothes, and, if they had younger brothers, even being traded away in marriage.
But here, with the Sixth Prince, Zheng Fan truly comprehended the meaning of this phrase... or perhaps, its chill.
Many people had visited the Forbidden City in later generations. Some still marveled at its grandeur, while others were left disappointed. Regardless of the impression it left, once the palace no longer represented the apex of power, it had already shed most of its aura.
The majesty and terror of imperial power, along with the distortion and bloodshed it brought, could often make people shudder upon close contact.
"Looks like Lord Jingnan holds you in high regard; you’re doing quite well for yourself."
"Gold shines no matter where it is."
"Heh, I was actually starting to miss your golden words."
"I will write some for you next time I send a letter."
"Can you wholesale them?"
"They are just worthless things."
The Sixth Prince took a roasted duck from the fireplace, cut it open without slicing it meticulously, and handed a leg to Zheng Fan. He took the other leg and said,
"How are things in Qian State? All the important people in the capital have heard about your exploits there. With hundreds of cavalrymen, you ranged across Baili of Qian State territory, broke into Mianzhou City in Qian State, and beheaded several defense officials.
Ah, to be honest, I also once dreamed about such a life. When I was young, I fantasized that I could also possess such charisma."
"It’s nothing really. Aside from their excellent masonry, the people of Qian State are fairly average, and their border army has long since rotted. Even the young ladies of Qian’s border regions are not as juicy as our Yan women."
In fact, the specific details and progress of Green Willow Fortress had long been communicated to the Sixth Prince through letters, since he was the major investor. You might not make a profit on his investment, but you had to make some noise.
In Blind Bei’s words, whether it be bragging, presenting PPTs, or telling jokes, you always needed to amuse the investors enough to make them continue investing.
At this point, when the Sixth Prince asked Zheng Fan about his time in Qian State, he was merely making casual conversation, not holding a board meeting.
"You haven’t seen anything yet. In terms of women, those from Xiahang are the most famous in Qian State, and Xiahang is in the Jiangnan region of Qian State."
"Given the chance, I will lead troops to Jiangnan of Qian State to capture a few Xiahang women for you to warm your bed."
"Enough, that’s a vulgar statement. It’s beneath me."
"As if selling roast ducks isn’t demeaning either," Zheng Fan retorted.
"Earning a living by one’s skills, doing business to put food on the table, is that demeaning?"
"What about those who earn their living by the blade? Is that demeaning?"
"The way you put it makes it sound somewhat reasonable. Really, I find you’ve always had an interesting way with words. Even though you haven’t been around for these past few months, your words often echo in my ears."
"..." Zheng Fan remained silent.
"Haha, Lord Jingnan has returned to the capital on Father’s mandate. Officially, it is for the Empress’s birthday, but with the Tian family elder’s grand birthday occurring first, perceptive people can see it’s merely a pretext."
"At present, of the six battalions of the North Border Army commanded by the Earl of North Border, only two continue to guard the wasteland. The remaining four have all been stationed at the border of Beifeng Prefecture. Forces from the court have also been mobilized. The situation is extremely tense."
"Yes, it is indeed very tense."
"Why don’t you seem to feel any sense of urgency?"
"You don’t seem to either, do you?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝✶𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✶𝕟𝕖𝕥
"Alright, I’ll just give you another reminder. Many influential families in the court oppose Father’s plans to further escalate tensions and go to war with the North Border Army. Initially, deterred by Father’s wrath, they didn’t dare act too presumptuously and obediently gathered their private troops from their own lands to converge on the capital.
Perhaps their original intent was to help Father make a show of force, bolster Father’s prestige, and make the North Border Army wary. Plus, having the Earl of North Border himself in the capital is a huge bargaining chip.
But now, something has happened that has thrown these great families and many members of my imperial family into a panic."
"The young lord of the Earl of North Border’s household has reportedly appeared in their mansion."
"Don’t be surprised. It’s not just you; even I have never met him. The Earl of North Border’s line has always struggled with producing heirs.
Some say it’s because the first Earl of North Border buried hundreds of thousands of the Qian army in Yinlang County, thereby accumulating too much bloody karma. Others say it’s because the barbarian priests have been cursing the Earl of North Border’s family day and night, praying for their line to end, and it seems to have worked.
This generation’s Lord North has only one son and one daughter. The daughter is the one you met. Most likely, it won’t be long before she becomes my sister-in-law, and then the Crown Princess.
As for the son, he was said to have been born extremely weak, frequently ill, and nearly died in infancy.
However, after he grew a little older, he was sent by the Earl’s household to the North Border Army for training. It has been almost ten years now. Other than Lord North himself, probably no one knows which battalion or unit that young lord is in, what rank he currently holds, or if his fellow soldiers and superiors are even aware of his identity."