After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Yang Shen didn't think much of it when he heard about the Medicine King Sect.

The medical skills of the descendants or disciples of Sun Simiao, the "King of Medicine," are undoubtedly superb.

He then bowed and said, "Your subject takes his leave!"

After he left the warm pavilion, the Hongzhi Emperor suddenly said, "This boy is so intelligent that he is almost demonic. He is so young yet he has already shown his talent. His future career will surely be full of hardships. I don't know if he can persevere."

Xiao Jing said, "Your Majesty has a discerning eye for talent. Yang, the companion, will surely become a capable assistant to the Crown Prince in the future."

The Hongzhi Emperor's face turned cold: "I'm not dead yet!"

"Old slave made a mistake and will die!"

Xiao Jing realized he had said the wrong thing and quickly knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"Alright, get up, cough cough cough..."

The Hongzhi Emperor coughed again, and after a long while, he finally said, "Is that Medicine King Sect reliable?"

Xiao Jing cautiously said, "It is said that they are disciples of Sun Simiao, the Medicine King, and have been passed down since the Tang Dynasty. They are mainly active in the Jiangnan region and are quite famous among the people. This old servant also heard that the chief disciple of the Medicine King Sect has already set off for the capital."

"Have you found out exactly what they're doing in the capital?"

"It is said that the old leader of the Medicine King Sect is getting old and will soon be succeeded by the chief disciple. They have a rule that before the new leader takes over, he must travel all over the world to cure diseases for the people."

"In that case, go and invite the person over so that I can examine him in person."

"This old servant obeys the decree!"

Xiao Jing dared not say more and went to make the arrangements.

"Wait!"

The Hongzhi Emperor then asked, "Has the Crown Prince not returned to the palace recently?"

Xiao Jing quickly stopped and said, "Your Highness is in the development zone. Please rest assured, Commander Li is with his guards to protect you. There will be no danger."

The Hongzhi Emperor frowned and said, "This lad, I gave him permission to go out, why hasn't he returned yet?"

Xiao Jing said, "This old servant will immediately send someone to invite Your Highness back to the palace."

"never mind!"

The Hongzhi Emperor waved his hand and said, "It's better not to call him. It's good for him to interact more with the people!"

Xiao Jing opened his mouth, but could only say, "Your Majesty is wise!"

The Hongzhi Emperor then asked, "Is there anything else?"

Xiao Jing was stunned, and quickly said, "This old servant takes his leave!"

The weather outside was getting worse, with cold winds carrying snowflakes that danced in the air.

When Yang Shen returned to the development zone, he saw Zhu Houzhao, Li Chun, and others digging a pit in the yard.

"Your Highness, what are you doing?"

When Zhu Houzhao saw Yang Shen return, he said, "Yang Shen, you have no idea how angry I am today!"

Yang Shen asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Who upset you?"

Zhu Houzhao said angrily, "A wild boar!"

"Wild boar?"

"Yes, it was a wild boar! I saw it clearly!"

Yang Shen looked around, but all he saw was white; there was nothing there.

Li Chun said in a low voice, "Last night a wild boar ran into the yard and destroyed the field that His Highness had personally cultivated!"

Yang Shen smiled. When the saline-alkali land was first improved, Zhu Houzhao found it novel and also planted a piece of land.

Although the crops were planted haphazardly and there was no expectation of them growing much food, the hard work had been put in, and now that they had been dug up by wild boars, it must have been upsetting.

"Your Highness, why bother with a wild boar? I will find some hunters tomorrow and capture the boar to avenge Your Highness!"

"That won't do!"

Holding a shovel, Zhu Houzhao angrily declared, "I want to catch it with my own hands!"

Just then, Wang Shouren walked over.

"Your Highness, what are you digging for?"

Without looking up, Zhu Houzhao said, "Dig traps and catch wild boars!"

Wang Shouren was stunned for a moment, seemingly not quite understanding.

Yang Shen asked, "Since Wang Sizhi has come in person, does this mean the lawsuit is not yet over?"

Wang Shouren then said, "The case has been settled, and the head of the criminal investigation department is arresting people. I've come to discuss a loan with you."

Yang Shen said, "It's a loan, no rush to pay it back!"

"I'm not here to repay the money, I'm here to borrow money!"

"what?"

Yang Shen scratched his head. This Wang Shouren hasn't even paid back the last sum of money yet, and he's borrowing again?

Wang Shouren explained, "Since this road was built, the number of merchants passing through has increased, and the original dock is already overloaded. I need money to expand the dock."

Yang Shen said, "I can lend you money, but you... Wang Sizhi, this business isn't just mine alone. There are so many shareholders behind it. I have to give them an explanation, don't you think?"

Wang Shouren said, "Don't worry, Wuqing County has already identified a large number of ownerless fields, which are temporarily under the trusteeship of the county government. I can mortgage them to the merchant house."

After a moment's thought, Yang Shen said, "Actually, there's no need to go through all that trouble. If you want to expand the dock, why don't we cooperate?"

"Cooperation? How to cooperate?"

"I will provide the money and manpower, and Wuqing County will provide the land. After the new wharf is completed, the two parties will operate it together."

"so……"

Wang Shouren was clearly unprepared and immediately fell into deep thought.

Yang Shen pulled him aside and said, "It's windy outside, let's go inside and talk!"

Wang Shouren glanced back at Zhu Houzhao, who was digging the pit with all his might, and then followed Yang Shen into the house.

Yang Shen's suggestion was quite comprehensive, reducing the pressure on the county government and boosting the local economy. As for the shareholding ratio, he didn't ask for much, only asking for 50%, and he only wanted the operating rights, not the decision-making rights.

The two talked about the details for a long time, and before they knew it, it was already dark.

Zhu Houzhao had long since disappeared, and looking at the ground, it was all white, with no trace of the pit being dug.

Yang Shen saw Wang Shouren out and, looking at the vast expanse of white snow outside, suddenly said, "Your Highness has dug a very clever trap; there's no clue whatsoever."

Wang Shouren said, "It's getting late, I'll head back now."

After saying that, he looked at the open space in front of him, estimated the location of the pit, and prepared to go around it.

"stop!"

Suddenly, a voice came from the front gate.

Both of them were startled and looked in the direction of the sound.

It was dark and we were still far away, so I could only see a figure, but I couldn't make out the face.

The other person spoke again: "Which one is Wang Shouren, the magistrate of Wuqing County?"

This time they heard it clearly; it was a woman dressed in white, inconspicuous in the snow, which is why the two didn't notice her standing at the gate immediately.

Yang Shen pointed at Wang Shouren.

Wang Shouren paused for a moment, then asked, "Are you a local resident? Do you have a grievance to appeal?"

The woman's voice was faint and mournful: "I am wronged, I am terribly wronged!"

Wang Shouren said, "Since there is a grievance, come to the county government tomorrow and submit your complaint according to procedure."

The woman said, "I can't wait."

Wang Shouren frowned and said, "It's already dark, let's talk about it tomorrow."

The woman said, "It's dark now, but it will be light again tomorrow. But what if people's hearts turn black?"

Wang Shouren was somewhat confused and asked, "What exactly is your grievance that you can't wait until tomorrow?"

The woman said, "My elder sister was murdered."

Wang Shouren's expression hardened, and he said, "Since it's a murder case, we can't be careless. You should go to the county government tomorrow and explain things clearly."

The woman said, "If the person who killed my sister is an official, then who should I complain to?"