We'll have you impersonate the Crown Prince and create a prosperous era for the Great Qian Dyna

What to do if you have no money?

Go out and sell them!

Zhou Tiancheng had Steward Liu find several merchants and lead them to a garden on the outskirts of Kyoto.

Prince Zhen named the garden "Shan Hai Jing" (Classic of Mountains and Seas).

Once inside, it was practically a zoo!

There were elephants, tigers, and even a dying lion.

Not to mention some common ferocious birds and beasts, which almost occupy the entire park.

Some animals whose names Zhou Tiancheng doesn't know, yet they have dedicated servants to take care of their daily meals.

"Sold, all sold! How much silver must this garden cost every day?"

Zhou Tiancheng's eyelids twitched as he read it.

The most arrogant crown prince of the Great Qian Dynasty could earn around two thousand taels of silver a month.

Of course, this includes converting all kinds of things like grain and cloth into cash.

Even disregarding corruption and unspoken rules, in later times this would be equivalent to earning a million a month without having to pay taxes.

In the end, the entire Eastern Palace only had five or six hundred taels of silver in cash?

All my money and emotions went to this!

If he hadn't consulted Steward Liu about the Crown Prince's finances, he wouldn't have known there was such a money-spending machine behind it all.

Manager Liu whispered a reminder.

"Your Highness, if we sell all of these, I'm afraid the Third Prince will become even more suspicious that you are not the Crown Prince."

Zhou Tiancheng felt the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He sold it. The contrast before and after was too great. Not to mention the Third Prince, even the Emperor would probably have to suspect him.

But if he doesn't sell, he won't have enough money to smooth things over with his connections.

"Then let's sell some of them. We'll gradually reduce the expenses at the garden here. In short, we can't waste money on things like this."

"Let's use the money from the sale to host a banquet first, and we'll talk about the rest later."

Zhou Tiancheng didn't want to stay here for even a second longer.

He knew this couldn't continue, but he had to maintain appearances.

I can only try to avoid seeing it and being bothered by it.

Fortunately, these beasts were indeed valuable and had a wide appeal; the merchants bought some of the rare items immediately.

This includes the lion, which was reportedly shipped from the South Seas and has no shortage of buyers.

With the money in hand, the banquet was held as scheduled.

Intoxicated by the spring breeze, a grand banquet was held, and all guests were welcomed.

but.

Almost no one came!

Ordinary people had heard of the prince's infamous reputation and dared not come to join the fun.

Even beggars who were starving to death avoided Zui Chunfeng.

All the civil and military officials sent out invitations, but most of them sent their servants to deliver gifts, while they themselves made various excuses to decline.

Zhou Tiancheng sat at a table on the third floor, his face somewhat gloomy.

"Has my reputation really gotten this bad?"

Even with outsiders present, he still had to maintain his princely demeanor.

Manager Liu sighed and lamented to the side.

The table was laden with delicacies, but unfortunately, no one was willing to eat them!

Zhou Tiancheng sighed helplessly.

"Alright, let's not waste food. Steward Liu, go and call all the staff from Zui Chun Feng to the table."

"Take care of the servants as well. In short, they must eat and drink before they can leave, otherwise all this food will be wasted."

Manager Liu hesitated.

This action is not typical of the Crown Prince; it only increases the risk of the fake Crown Prince being exposed.

But Zhou Tiancheng's next words completely shut him up.

There's a poem that goes like this: "Hoeing the fields at noon, sweat drips onto the soil. Who knows that every grain in the bowl is the result of hard work?"

"Steward Liu, grain is precious, so don't worry about it so much. There are still so many people in the world who don't have enough to eat. Wasting grain is just too shameful."

Steward Liu bowed deeply and then turned to make the arrangements.

A large group of servants and Zui Chunfeng's accountant, and the waiter were brought to the table.

They didn't know what had happened, and then they heard Steward Liu's shrill voice.

The Crown Prince wrote in his poem: "Hoeing the fields at midday, sweat drips onto the soil. Who knows that every grain in the bowl is the result of hard work?"

"Your Highness knows the hardships of farmers in cultivating the land. This banquet was originally intended to entertain all officials and the people of the capital. However, the wine and meat have been prepared, but no one is eating them."

"To avoid wasting food, His Highness has decreed that all who come must eat and drink their fill before leaving!"

These words stunned everyone present.

Is this...the Crown Prince?

And that poem—even though they weren't very cultured, they could still understand its meaning.

Did the Crown Prince really write this?

However, the Crown Prince is rumored to be a womanizer, capricious, and unreasonable, always ready to take someone's head.

This is somewhat different from the rumors, isn't it?

What surprised them even more was that Zhou Rui appeared on the third-floor railing with a wine glass in his hand.

This place should have been a banquet for officials, but now he was the only one facing this large table of food.

Eating alone would be too boring, so Zhou Rui simply came to the fence and raised his glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen, there is plenty of good wine and meat. Today, I will drink with you all."

"Come, raise your glasses, I'd like to offer you a toast!"

Who are those people sitting downstairs?

They were insignificant servants in the official's residence.

They are ordinary people who humbly serve others, even when they are intoxicated by spring breezes.

They had been humiliated and ignored for so many years, and suddenly a prince appeared, saying he wanted to get drunk with them.

When have these ordinary people ever enjoyed this kind of treatment?

The shopkeeper, who knew the rules best, immediately stood up with his wine glass in hand.

The others quickly followed suit, raising their wine cups toward the Crown Prince.

But their eyes no longer held panic and helplessness; instead, they were filled with excitement from the bottom of their hearts!

The Crown Prince is toasting them!

No matter how bad his reputation is, he is still the emperor's son, the future crown prince of the Great Qian Dynasty, and a noble person they can only look up to for their entire lives.

How could they not be excited?

"Your Highness..."

A group of people opened their mouths, but didn't know what to say.

Zhou Tiancheng waved his hand, silencing them all.

At this moment, he was playing the role of a god who controlled the lives and deaths of all people, and what was needed was that condescending aura and noble and majestic temperament.

He doesn't need the gratitude of the lower classes; he only needs to bestow blessings upon them to gain faith and appreciation!

"Alright, gentlemen, no need for further words, please drink to your heart's content!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

The people downstairs were moved to tears.

After all these years, when did they finally have the right to sit at the table and eat?

When did a distinguished person invite them to drink together?

They didn't know what putting on a show meant; all they knew was that the Crown Prince thought highly of them!

Just then.

A person pushed open the door and entered.

He glanced blankly at the scene before him, then smiled and asked a question.

"Am I too late?"

Zhou Tiancheng was somewhat puzzled.

He doesn't know many people.

Manager Liu leaned close to Zhou Tiancheng's ear and whispered something.

"This is Shi Cheng, the Vice Minister of War. He has just returned to the capital after retiring from the northern frontier battlefield."

Chou Tien-cheng was overjoyed!

Vice Minister of War?

The Ministry of War is great!

Even a vice minister would be fine!

The imperial court has finally made a start with officials of the third rank!

"Quickly, quickly, invite him up here."

After Zhou Tiancheng finished speaking, he thought to himself, "This isn't sincere enough."

He quickly pushed Steward Liu away.

"I'll go and invite them myself!"

As he spoke, he ran towards the stairwell. When he reached the door, he glanced back at Steward Liu and then deliberately spun one shoe off.

Manager Liu understood immediately, and slowly followed behind Zhou Tiancheng with the shoes in hand, speaking without hesitation.

"Your Highness! Slow down! Your shoe fell off!"