Chapter 819 – Jianzhou Prefecture, Establishing the Capital (Part 8)
When Wei Ci woke up again, the sun was already perched high above.
He heard a smacking sound by his ear, and turning his head, he spotted a mound of flower cakes sprawled on the floor next to a plate of snacks.
Flower cakes… No, the chubby Changsheng noticed the noise and turned to look at Wei Ci.
“Wei Susu is awake!”
Changsheng beamed, trying to get up, but her round, doe-like eyes caught sight of the crumbs on her hands. Suddenly stammering, she sank to her knees, plopping right down on that plate of snacks, thinking this way Wei Ci wouldn’t see it…
Wei Ci: “…”
Feng Huaiyu, if you don’t rein in your daughter, she’s really going to drive us all mad!
“Changsheng, come here.”
Wei Ci’s voice was raspy as he waved at Changsheng.
She shyly got up and, using her pudgy toes, pushed the plate of snacks aside, trying to destroy the evidence.
“Wei Susu.”
Wei Ci lightly pinched Changsheng’s little bun of hair and smiled weakly.
“Don’t sneakily eat, or else your father will think I’m starving you.”
Changsheng dropped her head, feeling guilty.
Originally, she meant to bring the snacks to share with her friend, Wei Susu, but she was too impatient from hunger and ended up munching them all herself.
Before she knew it, nothing was left but crumbs, and just at that moment, Wei Ci woke up, startling her.
“Is Wei Susu sick? Slept for a long time.”
Aside from him, there wasn’t anyone else in the Wei residence, so Changsheng could come and go freely, and the servants dared not restrict her.
“I’m not sick, just lazy!” Changsheng nodded and added with a soft giggle, “I also don’t like getting up; the wet nurse is being mean…”
Every time she tried to stay in bed, the wet nurse would scoop her up and out.
At times like that, Changsheng would feel so resentful, wishing she could be heavier so the wet nurse couldn’t lift her!
Wei Ci chuckled silently.
He asked a housemaid to look after Changsheng while he went to shower and wash off the sticky sweat, feeling refreshed afterwards.
“Your mouth, it never stops, does it?”
Wei Ci, haunted by nightmares, felt weak carrying the somewhat hefty Changsheng, gasping a bit after just a few steps.
Fortunately, the two homes weren’t far apart; otherwise, it would’ve taken a toll on him.
“I’m really sorry for the trouble last night. This child, Changsheng, is spoiled; it’s really tough to handle her.”
Feng Jin had just come back to have lunch and invited Wei Ci to join.
The Feng family had strict customs and didn’t favor extravagance, so their lunchtime meals were quite simple, which suited Wei Ci’s tastes perfectly.
“All kids are like this, wanting to cling to someone; it’s in their nature.”
After lunch, Wei Ci regained some energy.
Feng Jin didn’t suspect anything else and then asked, “Is Zixiao also worried about this morning’s issue?”
Wei Ci looked puzzled, “What morning issue?”
Since everyone worked in different offices, they didn’t meet every day, so Feng Jin assumed Wei Ci had attended the state affairs hall today.
“About the Wanzhou prefecture…” Feng Jin’s brows furrowed in concern.
“The prefecture? Can’t we just use the original one? The Lord isn’t someone who enjoys extravagance and wouldn’t waste the people’s wealth for personal comfort,” Wei Ci replied casually, “Could it be that Huaiyu has been frowning all this time out of frustration about this?”
Feng Jin spoke, “The original prefecture has already been burnt to the ground by the remnants of the Green Garment Army. If we choose that location again, it’ll take at least a year to establish a proper base. Xiaoyu has calculated that it would cost nearly a million taels altogether, not including labor costs.”
The original prefecture was already deserted due to the northern conflicts, and if they wanted to rebuild there, they would need to spend a lot of money and labor to gather workers, draining both time and resources.
That’s just not worth it!
Moreover, a prefecture is akin to the brain of an entire force, so it can’t be treated lightly.
Wei Ci furrowed his brows, and after deep thought, he reached a decision.
“What does the Lord think?”
Feng Jin replied, “The Lord’s stance is clear: do not delay serious matters and do not burden the people. As for where it is located, she has no opinion.”
Wei Ci asked again, “What about the others?”
Feng Jin paused, looking troubled, “The others want to establish the prefecture in the capital!”
The capital?
This was the same as Wei Ci’s choice.
However, judging by Feng Jin’s expression, he could tell that the other party had inner struggles; establishing the prefecture in the capital was quite inappropriate.
“Huaiyu doesn’t seem to agree,” Wei Ci stated firmly.
Feng Jin let out a bitter laugh, saying, “The capital is the capital of Dongqing. If the Lord establishes the prefecture there… it might attract some gossip. Furthermore, after a massive earthquake there, every time I get close, I feel uneasy; the events of that year are still vivid in my mind.”
The earthquake had been so devastating, claiming countless lives!
Even after more than two years, every time Feng Jin recalled that day, he still felt a chill run down his spine.
“The court has already moved its capital to Chenzhou; the capital is no longer the capital. If others gossip, let them! The Lord might not even care. Even if there are grievances from the royal city in Chenzhou, can they just remove the Lord from her post?” Wei Ci smirked scornfully, adding, “That earthquake destroyed the capital, displacing so many common people. Now the capital is nothing but a ghost town—surely we can’t just leave it like that. If we establish the prefecture in the capital, we can recruit the wandering populace around, reducing potential risks, that’s one point. Secondly, the capital is an ancient city, and some buildings can still be used, which can save costs.”
The capital, once the former capital, indeed held a different significance.
With transportation in all directions and an excellent geographical position, it’s the center of the entire Wanzhou.
If it weren’t for the Dongqing Emperor occupying it, the prefecture should have been established there.
Feng Jin sighed, “I know this is true, but I’m still afraid, worrying that the earthquake will strike again.”
Wei Ci had some more reasons he hadn’t shared.
Establishing the prefecture in the capital was not only for those two reasons; there was one even more crucial reason.
The local aristocracy in Shangyang County was too unruly. Since the Feng family was not currently in charge, others were even more reckless.
Jiang Pengji had been stationed in Fengyi County and couldn’t keep an eye on these demons all the time, giving them more chances to stir up trouble.
If they set the prefecture in the once-capital, the local aristocracy in Shangyang County would naturally quiet down, not daring to act recklessly.
Whether in the past or this life, Wei Ci knew the Lord would have to contend with powerful families.
Even if the current Lord came from a powerful family, she would show no mercy.
Thinking of the struggles after Jiang Zhao’s establishment, Wei Ci felt a headache coming on.
Restraining the aristocracy’s power couldn’t wait until the nation was unified; if possible, action should be taken immediately.
With this thought, Wei Ci’s mind sparked with an idea.
