The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

The news that Xiaolong was the grandson of the Crown Prince Zhao Yi exploded like a landmine from Qinghe Bay.

The bombing continued all the way to the prefectural city.

The country lanes of Qinghe Bay were crowded with carriages. County magistrates, prefectural officials, and heads of local prominent families all came to pay their respects to His Highness the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince, who was welcomed by the Emperor himself, has a promising future, and everyone wants to make a political investment in him.

Apart from Magistrate Liu, His Highness the Crown Prince did not see a single person. He did accept the gifts they sent, and ordered Su Chengmin to register them first, then let Tong Huaqiong and Master Su and others choose from them, and the rest would be distributed to the villagers of Qinghewan.

Every villager in Qinghewan wished they could kowtow to His Highness the Crown Prince.

The emperor, grateful for the care the villagers of Qinghewan had given to his grandson, bestowed upon each household in Qinghewan one hundred taels of silver as a reward.

With the additional rewards bestowed by the Crown Prince, every family quickly achieved a comfortable standard of living.

Village chief Liu Tielian grinned so hard his gums were showing.

He prayed to all the gods and Buddhas in his heart, asking them to bless his grandson to ascend the throne.

If Qinghewan is recorded in history books in great detail, wouldn't he, as the village chief, also gain a good reputation?

The Gu family patriarch and Old Master Gu were so regretful that their teeth ached.

Who would have thought that the so-called illegitimate child was actually a dragon?

I should have let Zhao Yi enter the Gu family ancestral hall back then.

He was clearly an adopted son of the Gu family, but now he acts as if he has little to do with the Gu family.

The rewards they received were similar to those of other families in the village.

The Crown Prince did not treat them with any special favors because their surname was Gu.

Zhao Yi wasn't particularly warm towards the Gu family. However, after his identity was revealed, the grandson spoke up for Old Master Gu and Gu Youtian, saying that they were not allowed to interfere with Aunt Xiaoxue's marriage in the future.

Grandpa Gu and Gu Youtian could only listen with trepidation.

After Zhao Yi met Magistrate Liu, Tong Huaqiong learned that Magistrate Liu already knew the identity of the Crown Prince.

When Magistrate Liu was young and studying, he encountered the Crown Prince, who was disguised as a student and came to the countryside to experience the hardships of life. The two became close friends.

We drank together, climbed mountains together, and talked about our ideals.

After the Crown Prince was executed, Magistrate Liu felt that all his ideals had been shattered, until he learned that the Crown Prince's bloodline still existed, which rekindled his passion.

Magistrate Liu emerged from the house with his eyes swollen from crying, telling Tong Huaqiong that he would be transferred back to Shengjing next year, at which time his mother and Tong Huaqiong would be able to see each other more often.

Some things are better seen than spoken.

Magistrate Liu was a follower of the former crown prince, so he was naturally loyal to the grandson of the crown prince.

As Zhao Yi's third uncle in the common people, Gu Jingzhe would be labeled as a member of the Crown Prince's faction even if he didn't stand on the Crown Prince's side, so he could only firmly support the Crown Prince.

From now on, we're all in this together; we'll share both prosperity and adversity.

"Xiaolong."

"Xiaolong, we've come to see you."

"What little dragon? Call him His Highness the Crown Prince."

The students from Qinghewan Private School rushed to Tong Huaqiong's house to find His Highness the Crown Prince.

People still call him Xiaolong.

They brought wild fruits picked from the mountains, eggs laid by their chickens, ducks, and geese, and various rural trinkets as parting gifts for His Highness the Crown Prince.

They didn't care whether Zhao Yi was the crown prince or not; in their hearts, Zhao Yi was a playmate and a classmate.

Before they could even get close, they were stopped by a group of guards.

Zhao Yi dismissed the guards and smiled at the group of children.

The children felt no pressure in front of the grandson of the emperor; they all rushed up to him and asked if he would come back after he left.

Looking at the children's innocent smiles, Tong Huaqiong felt a surge of emotion.

Life in Qinghe Bay will be a cherished memory for the grandson, and his classmates will remain a beautiful part of that memory.

The days ahead will be filled with hardship and danger. "Even if Xiaolong doesn't come back, we can go to Shengjing to find him," Yao said.

"Shengjing is so far away, how are we going to get there?" Liu Tielian's grandson asked.

Yao Jia puffed out his chest and said, "Learn from Uncle Jingzhe, study hard and go to the capital to take the imperial examination, and then I can see Xiaolong."

Zhao Yi smiled and said softly to the Yao family, "Then it's settled, I'll be waiting for you in Shengjing."

He had intended to say that he would wait for them in the Golden Palace.

In the end, he didn't say anything.

Tong Huaqiong pondered in her heart that, judging from the current situation, the Yao family was second only to Gu Jingzhe. The child in the Gu family who knew the New Year customs best was hundreds of times better than Yaozu.

Perhaps when the Yao family goes to the capital for the imperial examination, it will be Zhao Yi standing on the throne in the Golden Palace setting the questions.

The children chattered and laughed, imagining the scene of going to Beijing to take the imperial examination and seeing Xiaolong.

“I want to see Master Su,” Zhao Yi said.

“Master Su is at the private school,” Yao Jia said.

So the children surrounded Zhao Yi and took him to the private school.

It is said that Master Su met with Zhao Yi alone and the two talked for a long time. It is unknown what Zhao Yi and Master Su said, but when they came out, Master Su was willing to go to the capital with Zhao Yi.

Su Fuzi's decision caught Tong Pandi off guard, and she quickly ran over to discuss it with Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong asked, "Putting aside Master Su's decision, do you want to go to Shengjing?"

Tong Pandi smiled and said, "It would be a lie to say I don't want to go. Who wouldn't want to go to Shengjing and broaden their horizons? What's the point of staying in Yanguan Town for the rest of my life? I'm just worried about what will happen to the pig farm if I go to Shengjing?"

Tong Huaqiong said, "You can leave the pig farm at home to the village chief, and you can still do animal husbandry when you get to Shengjing."

Tong Pandi's eyes lit up, and she said, "In that case, I'll make the arrangements. My aunt and I will go to Shengjing together."

Tong Pandi then went to call the village chief to discuss the matter.

After marrying Master Su, the more Tong Pandi learned about him, the more she felt it was a pity that Master Su was just a village private school teacher.

Since Master Su has been invited by the Crown Prince to Shengjing to serve as a teacher, she will fully support him.

As for herself, she would not stand behind Master Su; she could still do business and develop the aquaculture industry.

She didn't believe that people in Shengjing didn't eat delicious pork.

She forged a path in Qinghewan, but for Hua'erduo'er, growing up would likely bring her much criticism because of her divorced and remarried mother. It would be better to take this opportunity to go to Shengjing together.

Once they arrived in Shengjing, a place of vast open spaces, their two daughters would no longer be subject to criticism or trouble.

The village chief was so happy to be entrusted by Tong Huaqiong to manage the pig farm that he almost kowtowed to her.

Tong Huaqiong's pig farm employs many villagers, and the pig farm alone has brought many ways for the village to get rich.

The fact that Tong Huaqiong has entrusted the pig farm to him shows that she values ​​him and is paving the way for him to become the village chief.

"Don't worry, I can definitely manage the pig farm well," said Village Chief Liu.

Tong Huaqiong owns so many businesses in Ningcheng that every year a manager will go to Shengjing to report to Tong Huaqiong and reconcile accounts. As the manager of the rural pig farm, he will naturally go as well.

He can go to Shengjing at public expense then, just thinking about it is wonderful.

If Master Su goes to Shengjing, Qinghewan will be short of a Master.

Through Su Fuzi's introduction, a teacher who had once taught at Wanliu Academy was brought to Qinghewan.

This scholar was known for his great learning and bad temper. Now that he is old, he wants to find a place in the countryside to teach rural children.

For the people of Qinghewan, it doesn't matter if the Master has a bad temper, as long as he is knowledgeable.

Tong Huaqiong expanded her free financial aid to talented children in her clan to include outstanding students enrolled in the Qinghewan Village Private School, regardless of their surname (Gu) or whether they were from Qinghewan.

This was all to pave the way for the future grandson of the emperor.

Zhao Yi is destined to become the emperor, so he needs to start cultivating his subordinates now.

After all, the Crown Prince and she were bound together; helping the Crown Prince was tantamount to helping herself. (End of Chapter)