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Chapter 672 A drastic change in temperament
After seeing Lu Qing follow Zhu Yu and start eating the dried meat, Lin Kun and Chang Yu looked much more at ease.

They had been lying low here for over a decade, using bandits as a cover, but they could never actually rob and plunder like bandits; that was something their pride and principles wouldn't allow them to do.

Moreover, the lives of the people of Landi have been deteriorating over the past decade or so, and they are even more reluctant to do anything that would worsen the plight of these innocent people.

Therefore, the village was also very poor and struggling to make ends meet.

Normally, they wouldn't mind being a little frugal, but since the imperial censor from Jin Kingdom had come, they didn't want their young master, as the future king of Lan, to appear too shabby in front of the imperial censor from the superior kingdom.

Lin Kun, in particular, could tell that although neither Lu Qing nor Zhu Yu possessed anything particularly extravagant, their unintentional demeanor and mannerisms undoubtedly revealed their extraordinary backgrounds.

These two people were now casually chewing on their only decent food—dried meat. Rather than saying the dried meat was really delicious, it was more accurate to say that they were being considerate of the feelings of the people around them, so that they wouldn't feel hurt or uncomfortable.

"Fuwen Fulu, there's still some food in the carriage. It shouldn't be stored for long. Why don't we borrow their kitchen and cook it together?" Zhu Yu looked at the sky outside and saw that it was already completely dark. The people were looking at each other, probably unsure of what to do for dinner. So he said to Fuwen Fulu.

The talisman immediately responded and, together with the two relieved cooks, went to the carriage to get the ingredients to prepare the meal.

Lu Qing took this opportunity to chat casually with Chang Yu.

Although Chang Yu had been hiding in the village with these guards since he was a few years old and had little chance to go out, Lin Kun and the others had never let him do as he pleased.

These people were all guards in the Prince's mansion. Although most of them did not know much about the classics of sages, they were all literate and had read some martial arts manuals and military books.

They went to great lengths to obtain many books for Chang Yu, including books for children from ordinary families to read and practice writing, as well as classic works by famous authors, which were books that scholars who wanted to pass the imperial examinations would study.

Lin Kun and the other guards who were most literate took turns being Chang Yu's teachers, teaching him to recognize characters. After he learned to recognize characters, he would read those books and continue to learn characters he didn't know before.

Fortunately, Chang Yu was very intelligent and quick-witted. Under such conditions, he managed to learn a large number of characters and, with his keen comprehension, he was able to understand and master those famous classics.

This made Lin Kun and the others very gratified. Although they were all rough men who practiced martial arts, they had served in the Prince Lan's mansion for so long that their vision and intellect were beyond those of ordinary martial artists. They firmly believed that a person with a narrow vision and who did not study the classics could never become a prominent prince. If they only saved Chang Yu's life but did not teach him the right things, then all of this would be meaningless.

"To be honest," Lu Qing said to Chang Yu after their conversation, "the Lan Kingdom today is no longer what you remember. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the people are living in misery."

Wherever we went, almost no town was peaceful and prosperous. Only in places far from the capital could we occasionally see farmland where crops were grown. Of the people of Lan Di we met, only a few were well-off, while most were struggling to make ends meet.

"If we could help you succeed your grandfather as the new King of Landi, how do you plan to govern this land?"

Chang Yu was naturally considering this question before. Faced with Lu Qing's question, he only thought for a moment before saying, "Ancient sages said that the way to govern a country is to first enrich the people, because when the people are rich, it is easier to govern. Because when the people are rich, they will be at peace in their hometowns and families, and when they are at peace in their hometowns and families, they will respect their superiors and fear punishment."

To ensure peace and stability throughout a country, the first priority is to ensure that the people on that land live prosperous and secure lives. Only when they are well-fed and clothed will they want to live peacefully in their hometowns. With a secure life, they will naturally not want their good fortune to be easily destroyed, so they will not take risks to commit crimes.

Over the past decade or so, Lantau has suffered a severe blow and is no longer the prosperous place it once was.

If I have the opportunity to take over Landi from my grandfather, my first priority is to find a way to restore the livelihoods of the people.

Although our Lan region has always been known for its dyes and spices, which are highly sought after by people all over the world, there have always been many spice farmers and merchants.

But times have changed. Right now, everyone needs to be fed first before we can talk about returning to our old ways.

Therefore, I plan to first order the entire country to use all fertile land for growing vegetables, fruits and grains, so that at the very least, people everywhere can live in peace and have no worries about food and clothing.

Elsewhere, high-ranking officials and nobles may temporarily forgo incense and perfumes, but the common people of Lantau cannot go a day without rice and flour.

Once the people of Lan are well-fed and clothed, some will naturally want to return to their old trades; there's no need for special guidance or control.

As Lu Qing listened to this young man in his early twenties speak eloquently, there was not a trace of exaggeration or affectation in his expression or tone; only heartfelt sincerity.

“I hope that one day you will be able to put these ideas into practice.” He nodded in agreement with Chang Yu, and then said to Lin Kun beside him, “You have indeed taught your young master very well. The people of Lan will be grateful to you in the future.”

"I dare not accept such praise, I dare not accept such praise."

We are all rough men and don't know much. We learned a lot from the prince when we worked in his palace.

"Actually, our Prince used to be a diligent, hardworking, and compassionate prince who cared deeply for the people..." Lin Kun sighed, shaking his head as he recalled the past and the present. "If those things hadn't happened back then, whether it's the Prince or the Heir Apparent... our Lan region would be living a much better life now, not like this."

“I believe what you’ve said.” Lu Qing nodded to him. “If it weren’t for the fact that Prince Lan is related to the Emperor and was a capable ruler in his early years, making him the most trusted prince among the various vassal states, perhaps the problems here wouldn’t have been discovered for so long.”

But why would a perfectly normal person suddenly change their personality?

It couldn't have been a coincidence that his sons, including the crown prince, died one after another in such unnatural deaths, could it?