Chapter 11: Making Things Difficult

Eunuch Hai brought the urgent memorial from the Champion Marquis.

Emperor Xia signaled, and Eunuch Hai directly presented it to Xiao Rui.

“Take a look. This is the urgent memorial sent by the Champion Marquis. It details the plan he formulated after his research,” Emperor Xia said with a smile.

Xiao Rui took the memorial and opened it. Xiao Jing and Xiao Yan gathered around, and the three of them browsed it together.

In the memorial, the Champion Marquis described in detail the reasoning behind excavating the canyon waterway and building the embankments. He calculated the scale of the work, where the difficulties lay, how many people and how much time were needed. And at which locations the embankments should be built.

The basic idea coincided with Xiao Rui’s, but the Champion Marquis’s plan was more rigorous. He selected four strategic positions within the excavated canyon to build embankments, from low to high, to prevent the flood from becoming uncontrollable if a breach occurred. Also, it wasn’t about diverting water through just one canyon, but through four channels, drawing water from the Bolan River.

This plan would take one year. If successful, the Muye Pasture could be brought into the pocket of the Great Xia Kingdom.

Xiao Jing’s eyes immediately widened. If he didn’t know the Champion Marquis was his father’s trusted confidant, he would have thought he was a spy sent by Xiao Rui. On the contrary, this was even more frightening. Was his Seventh Brother able to predict everything? He actually guessed… no, that’s just too impressive.

Xiao Yan clenched his fist, his face full of excitement, roaring in his heart: I knew it, my Seventh Brother is the best, haha…

“Ding dong…”

In Xiao Rui’s mind, the System’s prompt sounded. The task was complete, and he gained 15 Advent Points. This brought the total to 80 Advent Points. Only 20 points away from reaching the full amount. He wondered what he would get when the points were enough?

Xiao Rui was a little excited. Would he transform?

Ultraman… Damn it, get lost with those characters from the Wa Country. My great China has a long mythology. Come out, my golden hooped staff is already thirsting for action.

Emperor Xia stood up and walked down: “The Ninth Prince is benevolent, but lacks grasp of the overall situation. I rate your policy essay as ‘Average’. Xiao Jing understands the overall situation, but lacks thorough consideration. A ruler must not act blindly, so I rate your policy essay as ‘Above Average’. As for Xiao Rui… the fact that your thinking coincides with the Champion Marquis’s is the result of your hard work. I rate yours as ‘Excellent’. Yesterday, the Loyal and Brave Marquis entered the palace and mentioned an interesting story about you. You know his second daughter, and he tested you, asking about the situation at Muye Pasture.”

What did Emperor Xia mean by this?

Xiao Rui quickly followed up along these lines: “Father, thanks to the Loyal and Brave Marquis testing your son and letting me explain the situation at Muye Pasture, I was able to gain Your Majesty’s approval.”

Emperor Xia looked deeply at Xiao Rui. He suddenly realized that he might have always underestimated this seventh son. Or was it that he had neglected him?

Interesting!

Xiao Jing, however, let out a sigh of relief. So that was it. He thought his Seventh Brother was all-powerful, but it turned out the Loyal and Brave Marquis gave him pointers behind the scenes. That made sense.

“How about it? How are you getting along with the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s second daughter?” Emperor Xia then asked.

This question made Xiao Rui, Xiao Jing, and Xiao Yan freeze.

What did he mean? If you get along well, will you arrange a marriage?

This was no small matter. None of the Imperial Princes had married into a military marquis’s family. Was Emperor Xia probing, or probing, or probing?

Xiao Rui gave a shy smile: “Marriage is a major matter, subject to the parents’ command. My mother passed away early, so my marriage can only be decided by Father.”

Emperor Xia’s smiling face suddenly stiffened. An image of that woman, who loved martial attire over red dresses, flashed in his mind. But she had done it for…

Looking at Xiao Rui’s handsome and clear smile, his eyes looked extremely like hers.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Emperor Xia nodded.

“The three of you must continue to study hard. You are not young anymore, and it’s almost time for you to establish your own households,” Emperor Xia admonished.

“Yes, Father!” The three of them bowed.

“Dismissed.” Emperor Xia waved his hand.

Xiao Rui and the other two exited the side hall.

On the way out of the palace, Xiao Jing was somewhat indignant that Xiao Rui had stolen the limelight today, so he stormed off angrily in quick strides.

Xiao Yan pestered Xiao Rui, wanting to accompany him back to Prince Duan’s Mansion.

Xiao Yan’s mother came from the martial Wu family and had her own wealth to buy him a residence in the Capital City, unlike Xiao Rui who was staying at Prince Duan’s Mansion.

Xiao Rui didn’t want to play with a youngster, so he found a random excuse to send him away.

Upon returning to Prince Duan’s Mansion, before Xiao Rui could even sit down properly, rewards from the palace actually arrived.

Ten thousand taels of silver, a set of the Four Treasures of the Study, a pair of jade lions.

Xiao Feng heard the news and came quickly. After seeing off the eunuch from the Directorate of Ceremonial, Xiao Feng asked, “Seventh Brother, it seems Father was very satisfied with your performance in today’s test.”

“Of course, I performed exceptionally well,” Xiao Rui said deliberately proudly.

Xiao Feng saw his delighted expression, chuckled lightly, and didn’t take it seriously.

When night fell.

While Xiao Feng and his Princess Consort, Cao Wan’er, were resting, Cao Wan suddenly said, “Husband, I heard today His Majesty tested the Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, and Ninth Prince on the topic of Muye Pasture, which is currently the most discussed matter in the Capital City. They say Little Seven’s strategy coincided with the Champion Marquis’s, and His Majesty rated him as Excellent.”

“What?” Xiao Feng suddenly sat up, exclaiming, “No wonder Father rewarded him with things. When did Xiao Rui become so clever?”

“They say the Loyal and Brave Marquis taught him. Didn’t you ask him to go meet the Loyal and Brave Marquis’s second daughter?” Cao Wan said.

Xiao Feng’s face darkened. “On their first meeting, the Loyal and Brave Marquis taught him this? Did I mess things up instead?”

“Husband, there’s something I’ve kept in my heart. Look, Xiao Rui had nowhere to go after leaving the palace. You took him in, and he doesn’t even show gratitude. Tsk, he’s just a little ingrate.” Cao Wan glanced at Xiao Feng’s face, seeing he didn’t refute, and pressed on: “We shouldn’t be nice to someone like that.”

Xiao Feng narrowed his eyes and snorted lightly.

“Husband, it’s not right for him to stay in our mansion forever,” Cao Wan said.

“Can you just drive him out?” Xiao Feng asked.

Cao Wan smiled, massaging Xiao Feng’s shoulders, and said, “Don’t worry, I know my limits!”

…

A new day, the sun was bright.

He still had classes today, so Xiao Rui didn’t want to get up.

But strangely, Gao Quan didn’t rush him to get up. He didn’t see anyone around early in the morning either.

“Gao Quan, Gao Quan…”

“Strange, where is everyone?” Xiao Rui called several times, but no one responded. He had to put on his clothes and leave the room.

The courtyard was empty. The servants and maids arranged by Prince Duan’s Mansion had all disappeared somewhere.

Xiao Rui’s eyes flashed, then he left the residence and walked forward.

On the way, he encountered the mansion’s maids and servants, who all hurriedly avoided Xiao Rui, fearing him like a tiger.

He immediately turned and walked towards Xiao Feng’s quarters.

Passing through the corridors, he arrived at Xiao Feng’s residence, but was stopped by the steward in front of the crescent moon gate.

“Your Highness, my Prince is not in the mansion. The Princess Consort caught a chill last night and is resting. After all, there should be propriety between brothers and sisters-in-law, you see…” The steward wore a smiling face.

Xiao Rui asked, “What about my servant, Gao Quan?”

“Oh, you mean him!” The steward slapped his forehead and said, “Look at my memory, I forgot to inform Your Highness. Early this morning, guards on patrol discovered Gao Quan stealing treasures from the mansion. He was caught with the stolen goods. So he has been locked in the woodshed. You were resting, and we didn’t dare disturb you.”

“Gao Quan is Your Highness’s man. We didn’t dare beat or scold him. We could only lock him up for now. My Prince was very angry about this. You know, a domestic thief stealing property should have his hands chopped off.”

Xiao Rui raised his eyebrows, looking coldly at the steward.

Seeing his gaze, the steward felt a chill in his heart. He had never seen such a cold look in Xiao Rui’s eyes. His heart pounded, but remembering the Princess Consort’s instructions, he could only endure and keep smiling.

“Where is he? Take me there,” Xiao Rui coldly commanded.

“This way, Your Highness,” the steward hurriedly led the way.