Jingzhou.
After reading his daughter’s handwritten letter, the Prince of Huainan sighed slightly. Then he picked up his eldest son Cui Shang’an’s letter.
To his surprise, Cui Shang’an, as the future Prince of Huainan, not only showed no dissatisfaction in the letter but instead advised him to personally travel to the capital and discuss the matter of reducing feudal lords’ power with the Emperor in detail.
One was his daughter, and the other was his legitimate eldest son. The two would surely not harm him. Moreover, in their letters, they both meticulously informed him of the current imperial family’s strength.
The Prince of Huainan was no fool. The victory of the Northern Expedition had already made him clearly aware of the disparity between himself and the imperial family. The barbarians, who could have utterly destroyed the Great Yu Empire in an instant, were crushed in just a few months. What power did he possess to contend with the imperial family?
“Pack up. I will go to the capital,” the Prince of Huainan said to his residence steward. He had made up his mind.
The next day, a cavalry unit of a thousand men departed from Jingzhou and headed towards Qingzhou Province.
Ten days later, this unit arrived outside Qingzhou City.
“Father King.”
Cui Shang’an, having received the news beforehand, was already waiting at the gate. The moment he saw his imperial father, his eyes welled up slightly.
The Prince of Huainan looked at Cui Shang’an, who was clad in military attire. Compared to his time in the State of Huainan, he now possessed more of a general’s demeanor.
Dismounting from his horse, the Prince of Huainan walked before Cui Shang’an and heavily patted his shoulder. He said, “They say the imperial army trains people best. It seems those words are true.”
Cui Shang’an smiled. “Father King, those words are absolutely correct. In the army, not a single general treats your son as the Prince of Huainan. They treat ordinary soldiers and nobles equally.”
“That’s why the Emperor was able to easily defeat the barbarians,” the Prince of Huainan said sincerely.
If he had harbored any dissatisfaction when he was in the State of Huainan, now he had none whatsoever.
To gauge the imperial family’s strength, he had deliberately observed the changes happening in the imperial family’s territories.
It could be said that he was constantly in shock throughout his journey.
Astonishing changes were occurring in the former Yan and Wei territories, which were recovered two years after the northern war ended.
Unbeknownst to him, the production teams that were originally promoted in Qingzhou Province had now covered these areas. Under the management of the production teams, the land that had been abandoned due to war was now regaining vitality.
The influence of powerful families, both in the countryside and in prefectures and counties, was rapidly declining. Many powerful families had even become indistinguishable from wealthy commoner households.
But this was not the most astonishing thing he saw. With the rise of production teams, many public schools were established in these areas.
From the formerly powerful families and nobles down to the common people, all children had to receive the Great Yu Empire’s new education policy education in public schools. And to encourage impoverished common people to enter public schools, the cost of public schools was entirely borne by the imperial court. Studying in public schools was completely free, and even the printed textbooks were free.
This policy put the Great Yu Empire’s nobles and common people on the same starting line. The selection of talents would be entirely determined by examinations.
As a feudal lord, he immediately recognized the power of this policy. From then on, commoners would have more opportunities to rise.
However, these were just the basic things in villages and counties. After entering Jinling Province, he discovered even more important things: various machines he had never seen before.
When he was in Jinling Province, he specifically stayed for a day. That day, accompanied by officials from Jinling Province, he visited the industrial zone under construction in Jinling City.
There, he witnessed steam-powered textile workshops, cotton ginning workshops, white sugar workshops, distilleries, and the large shipyard under construction in Jinling City.
After leaving Jinling Province, he traveled northward. In Laiwu, he saw a railway about to be opened.
Following the railway, he headed towards Qingzhou Province. Along the way, he saw a steam locomotive undergoing trial runs. This enormous steel monster roared past, frightening him considerably.
And upon arriving in Qingzhou Province, its prosperity and wonders made him abandon his last shred of illusion.
Because he realized that the gap between Huainan and the current imperial court was like the difference between a wealthy metropolis and a poor village.
He also finally understood that the current Emperor was not wary of their military might but simply did not wish to engage in another internecine conflict.
“Father King, you…” Cui Shang’an looked at his imperial father with surprise and a hint of relief in his eyes.
Just as the father and son were reuniting, a carriage suddenly approached from within the city. The carriage stopped, revealing the Prince of Yong’s face.
“Prince of Huainan, no more dawdling! I’ve been waiting for you to meet the Emperor with me these past few days. It gives us a bit of confidence, after all.” The Prince of Yong shouted loudly.
The Prince of Huainan smiled helplessly, “After this journey, I have less and less confidence. Let’s go. Better today than tomorrow. Today, we will go meet His Majesty.”
With that, the two headed towards the imperial palace together.
At this time, Xiao Ming had already learned of the Prince of Huainan’s arrival in Qingzhou Province. He said to Qian Dafu, “Prepare lunch. This noon, I might have to use the tactic of ‘releasing military power with a cup of wine.'”
Qian Dafu smiled, “The three princes personally coming to the capital already shows their sincerity. This time, Your Majesty’s wishes will come true.”
A broad smile appeared on Xiao Ming’s face. “The Prince of Ruyang, who has been silent all this time, has also arrived. With these three princes resolved, this reduction of feudal lords’ power will be successful.”
Qian Dafu chuckled for a moment, then turned and left.
Half an hour later, Xiao Ming received the news that the three princes requested an audience. He went to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, where he would receive the three this time.
Seating himself in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, soon after, the Prince of Huainan, the Prince of Yong, and the Prince of Ruyang arrived, led by eunuchs.
Seeing Xiao Ming, the three said in unison, “Long live, long live, long live our Emperor!”
“Dispense with the formalities.” Xiao Ming now exuded an imperial majesty. He had the three take their seats, then said, “Prince of Huainan, Prince of Yong, Prince of Ruyang, your coming to the capital this time is truly a surprise to me. To reward the three of you, I have specially prepared Qingzhou’s delicacies for you to feast upon.”
The Prince of Yong was not unfamiliar with Qingzhou Province. He naturally knew the taste of Qingzhou Province’s delicacies and couldn’t help but swallow. “Your Majesty is too kind. But speaking of it, Qingzhou Province’s delicacies are indeed unparalleled. I, your humble servant, used to want to linger here every time I came, but unfortunately, as a feudal lord, I couldn’t stay too long in the capital. However, soon I will be able to freely enjoy myself in this Qingzhou Province.”
“Imperial Uncle, there’s no need to be so polite. Since Imperial Uncle likes Qingzhou Province, I naturally welcome it. Perhaps in the future, I’ll even have a companion for conversation.” Xiao Ming and the Prince of Yong’s gazes met, and their words basically reached a consensus.
The Prince of Yong’s words just now had clearly conveyed his intention: he wanted to abandon his feudal state and live a carefree life as a prince in Qingzhou Province.
Xiao Ming naturally welcomed this, after all, the Prince of Yong’s feudal state was too close to Qingzhou Province and was rich in resources. By taking control of this area, the north would henceforth be completely open.