Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 471 Six Years Later

Six years later.

Pier No. 13, Kyoto.

"Dang Dang Dang——"

As the ship's bell rang as it docked, the workers waiting to unload their cargo rushed forward, carrying the goods in an orderly fashion amidst the chaos.

Before long, the work chants began to ring out rhythmically, and the mountain of goods was gradually transported out, carried by laborers onto trolleys, and then pushed to the warehouse not far away.

At this moment, a young man dressed in foreign clothing got off the cabin. He looked around with admiration in his eyes and face.

Seeing his expression, they knew it must be his first time in the capital. The idlers who had been waiting nearby immediately rushed forward, enthusiastically introducing themselves. The man was startled. He was new to Dajing and not very fluent in the language, so he couldn't understand what they were saying at all. He could only explain frantically, but fortunately, the patrol noticed the situation and shouted at them, causing the group to disperse.

The man finally breathed a sigh of relief, only to see those men who were clearly officials approaching, and he immediately became extremely nervous. Arriving in a foreign land, his biggest fear was getting into trouble, especially since his Dajing dialect wasn't fluent enough. Just as he was getting nervous, the leading patrolman unexpectedly spoke a few words of ancient Luo language, not authentic, but quite fluent.

"What's your name? What brings you to the capital? Don't be afraid, those people just want to ask if you need a guide."

The man finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"My name is Gu Feng. I've come to the capital to do business. I've brought a ship full of spices, which I've already registered at the immigration office. This is my travel document. Please take a look, sir."

The squad leader looked at it carefully and nodded after confirming that it was correct.

“Alright, if you’re not familiar with the capital, you can seek help from the Sihai Division. If anyone maliciously lowers prices or engages in hoarding, foreign friends can go there. Don’t worry, the prices in our Great Jing are the fairest, and you won’t be taken advantage of.”

"Thank you, sir. I heard from my fellow villagers that the Great Jing is rich in resources and has many business opportunities, so I thought I'd come and try my luck. Some of the common spices were sold on the way here, but the highest-grade spices and gems have no market yet. I thought there were many nobles in the capital, so I came here to find a way."

"Yes, if it can't be sold in the capital for more than half a month, you can go to the Sihai Division, where someone will help you."

Gu Feng nodded repeatedly, deeply grateful. The squad leader gave a few serious instructions, then led his men to continue patrolling. Once they were out of sight of the foreigner, one of the patrol guards couldn't help but admire them.

"Boss, how come you know everything? That foreigner was speaking gibberish, and I couldn't understand a word. I didn't expect you to be able to speak their language."

“These academies all teach these things. We usually send you to night school, but you're just too lazy to move. There's no harm in learning more. Now that our Great Jing is receiving tribute from all directions, there will only be more and more foreigners like us. We're in charge of the docks, and if we can't even communicate normally with them, how can we expect to get a chance to advance?”

"What the boss says is true. Sigh, actually I just think those teachers at night school are too strict. Last time I only made a few mistakes when I was quizzing them on a dictation test, and I got a few lashes. It didn't hurt much, but it was really embarrassing. I'm such a grown-up, and there are still little kids watching over me. Where can I put my old face?"

The man who spoke looked to be in his thirties or forties. As is customary, he didn't have a beard, except for some bluish stubble on his chin. He was staring at his left hand with a worried expression, as if he could still see the burning sensation when he was hit with the board, and the strange looks from his classmates.

He was a city patrolman, paid by the government. To be severely beaten five times by a mere teenager was incredibly humiliating; he didn't dare tell his wife when he got home!

The squad leader shook his head in exasperation.

"Night school teaches people to read for free. This is a benefit that His Highness the Prince specially arranged for the people of the capital. Before, even if you paid one tael of silver a month, you couldn't afford to go to school. Now that someone is teaching you for free, you're actually being lazy? I think you're just ungrateful. Look at Liao Laosan and the others who were your contemporaries. They've all been promoted. Aren't you envious? The reason they were promoted is because they're good at reading and writing and can communicate with people from several countries. I heard they've even been borrowed by the Four Seas Bureau. Their future is limitless! And what's a few slaps on the hand from the teacher? If the teacher didn't even look at you, that would be truly giving up on you. If you ask me, you've been hit too lightly. You should have been hit a dozen more times! When I'm dismissed, I'll send a sturdy rattan cane to the night school teachers. From now on, if I encounter someone like you who doesn't study hard, I'll beat them severely!"

"Oh, eldest brother, you're too late this time. When my wife heard about it, she sent five specially treated rattan canes, saying that these canes are light and hurt more when you hit someone. Since the young scholar is not strong enough, it would be easier for him to use the specially treated rattan canes. She even had my daughter and son deliver them to him personally. Oh dear, I've lost all face."

Hearing this, the squad leader's expression softened considerably. His Highness the Prince had given them so many opportunities to turn their lives around; if they wouldn't take advantage of such a privilege, they deserved to be poor forever! Didn't they see that even beggars were rare in the entire capital these days? Everyone who could move was being properly taken care of, and even the disabled could find work. Officials like themselves not only received significantly higher monthly salaries but also unprecedented benefits.

Going to night school to study and learn to read is one of these activities.

"By the way, I have some new lip rouge that my sister gave me. It's incredibly moisturizing. The weather's been dry these past few days, so find an opportunity to give it to that young scholar. My sister says she's quite young and doesn't know how to take care of herself. This lip rouge isn't anything expensive, just consider it a small token of your appreciation and an apology."

"Oh, boss. How did you know what I was thinking? I've been thinking about this for the past few days. You know, if it's something too expensive, the little tutor definitely won't want it, but those ordinary things on the market aren't presentable. Lip rouge is great, it's a hot commodity. If it weren't for our eldest sister working at the Lip Rouge Factory No. 3, we wouldn't have this perk, would we?"

"Who are you calling 'elder sister'? Stop joking around and get on patrol. There have been more and more foreigners coming to the capital these past few days. They're unfamiliar with the place, and many don't speak the language. His Highness said that people like these are often the first to try something new in their own countries. If they can do well in Dajing, and then spread the word when they get back, wouldn't that attract even more merchants and good things to Dajing?"