Exile? A mad, wicked woman empties the national treasury to escape famine.

"That's right, that's right. Everyone who can climb up should climb up. The rest of us who can't climb up should stay down here and catch the durians. These durians are covered in thorns. We'll have to think of a good way to get them down from the tree intact."

Everyone was chatting enthusiastically, and even Xie Zhaoting was thinking about how to bring the durian back later!

It was covered in thorns, making it inconvenient to carry. After thinking it over, I decided to take off my coat, wrap the durian inside, and carry it back.

They were chatting animatedly about going out to pick durians later, while the First Prince and his entourage noticed the commotion.

Chu Jinsheng sat in the carriage, expressionless. He had no interest in these matters; the only thing he wanted to know was when his men would arrive.

Since Ji Yunshu wouldn't listen to reason, he was prepared to use force, but he would wait for the imperial physician to arrive and confirm that the villagers were not suffering from the plague before taking action.

Otherwise, if Ji Yunshu and the others really contracted the plague, even if I went to great lengths to snatch Ji Yunshu away, it would be useless if she contracted the plague herself; I might even contract the plague myself.

He wasn't interested, but the guards were eager to make a move.

The guards had been standing guard outside, and they had a clear view of what was happening not far away. They had initially thought it would be something particularly unpalatable, but judging from the reactions of the people, it seemed to be different from what they had imagined.

At first, they were dismissive, but as time passed and the villagers ate up the large bowl of bright yellow fruit, the guards finally couldn't resist and became itchy to eat it themselves.

"Xiao Wu, what should we do? I saw that thing, and I heard it smells bad but tastes really good. Look, they've eaten up such a big plate of it. I'm so hungry."

"Yeah, Xiao Wu, I'm starving too. The brothers just went out and checked around, but there's nothing to eat. How about we follow the princess and the others to find some of those fruits?"

Their rations were almost gone, and the last bit was to be saved for the eldest prince. They could only find something to eat in the wild to fill their stomachs, but there was nothing to eat around them.

They had just casually picked some leaves and put them in their mouths. They had originally planned to ask the villagers for some dry food, but when they thought that the villagers might be infected with the plague, they dared not eat the villagers' food.

But one cannot remain hungry forever; now, the opportunity to find something is right before one's eyes.

It's hard for them not to be tempted.

Moreover, these wild fruits grow on trees outside and have no direct connection with the villagers or Ji Yunshu.

Xiao Wu's brows were almost furrowed together. Of course, he knew what the guards meant. Not to mention the guards, even he was hungry.

They didn't know when the imperial forces would arrive, but they couldn't wait on an empty stomach.

People are iron rice and steel, and if they don't eat a meal, they will be very hungry.

He gritted his teeth and, amidst the expectant gazes of the other guards, approached the carriage.

Looking at the eldest prince, she spoke cautiously.

"Your Highness, I heard that the Princess Consort is going to take the villagers to pick that kind of fruit later. Should I send some people to accompany them?"

Worried that the eldest prince might disagree, he quickly added.

"Your Highness, didn't you say you were to keep a close eye on the Princess's movements? To be honest, I find this fruit rather strange. In such a large forest, no one else found it, so why did the Princess find it?"

"I really can't figure it out. Why don't we send a few people to follow them and see if what the princess said is true or false? If it is true, we can have them bring back two fruits so we can study what these fruits are."

If it really tastes good, we will definitely ask the court to find a way to bring it back to the capital!

Such a rare item must not fall into the hands of others; only in your hands, Your Highness, is it truly the best arrangement.

After much thought, he decided to focus the matter on the fruit trees.

The eldest prince was a smart man and naturally understood the meaning behind his words. Such a precious thing was something that no one else had. If the eldest prince had it, wouldn't his reputation and prestige in the capital be further enhanced?

There are so many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital, many of whom have more money than they can spend. The more precious something is, the more people flock to it.

If the eldest prince takes this opportunity to bring this fruit tree under his control, a single fruit could fetch an astronomical price in the future.

Chu Jinsheng was a smart man, and in an instant he understood what Xiao Wu meant. He nodded to himself, and Xiao Wu had indeed become much smarter by his side.

Even he hadn't expected this!

If this fruit is really as valuable as Ji Yunshu said.

This thing will definitely be priceless in the future!

As the eldest prince, he might become the emperor of Dongling Kingdom in the future. Only someone of his noble status is worthy of enjoying the best things.

He glanced at Xiao Wu indifferently, his eyes full of admiration.

"Hmm, that's right, you're right. If this fruit is truly both nourishing and delicious, such a precious thing shouldn't be circulating among the common people. Having it in my hands will give it even greater value."

Later, send a few people with you. Have them write down the exact location of the fruit tree, and then we'll figure out a way to move it to the capital.

Or they could assign people to protect it strictly, and from then on, that fruit tree would belong to the royal family.

The more Chu Jinsheng spoke, the wider his smile became; he was quite satisfied with his arrangements.

After all these days, something comforting has finally happened.

The other guards standing around, having overheard the conversation between Xiao Wu and the First Prince, all secretly gave Xiao Wu a thumbs up.

Xiao Wu truly lives up to his name; his eloquence and art of speaking are simply remarkable.

With just a few words, the eldest prince agreed. Indeed, they still had a lot to learn from his skill in speaking.

When they reach the level of Xiao Wu, they will dare to go up and speak face to face with the First Prince.

Xiao Wu was dumbfounded. He had only said it casually, hoping that the Crown Prince would let them go fruit picking together.

Unexpectedly, the eldest prince took this seriously and even wanted to move the fruit trees to the capital.

Good heavens, what is the eldest prince thinking?

It is said that the fruit tree is so tall and big that it would be impossible to move it.

But whatever, the words have already been spoken, and there's no reason to take them back now. At worst, we can just tell the Crown Prince that the tree is too tall and too big to move.

Doesn't that fruit have seeds?

If we take a few seeds back to the capital and plant them, they should grow successfully. It's much easier than moving trees.