The news that Xiao Long is Grand Prince Zhao Yi spread like a landmine, exploding from Qinghe Bay.
It spread all the way to the prefectural city.
The country roads of Qinghe Bay were crowded with carriages, county magistrates from all over, prefecture officials, and local clan leaders... all came to pay their respects to the Grand Prince.
The future of the Grand Prince, who was welcomed by the Emperor’s envoy, was full of promise, and everyone wanted to make a political investment.
Aside from County Magistrate Liu, the Grand Prince saw no one, though he accepted their gifts, ordering Su Chengmin to register them, letting Tong Huaqiong and Mr. Su and others choose, and distributing the rest to the villagers of Qinghe Bay.
Every villager in Qinghe Bay felt like bowing to the Grand Prince.
The Emperor, grateful for the villagers’ care of the Grand Prince, rewarded each household in Qinghe Bay with a hundred taels of silver as a reward.
With the Grand Prince’s rewards added, every household rose to prosperity.
Village Chief Liu Tieshan was smiling so hard his gums showed.
In his heart, he prayed to all the gods and Buddhas, hoping they would bless the Grand Prince to ascend to power.
It would ensure a memorable place for Qinghe Bay in the annals of history, and as village chief, he might also gain an honorable reputation.
The Gujia Clan Leader and Mr. Gu were regretful to the point of having sore teeth.
Who could have imagined that the so-called illegitimate child was a dragon?
If only they had known earlier, they would have allowed Zhao Yi into the Gu Family ancestral hall.
Clearly, he was the adopted son of the Gu Family, but now it seemed like he had little connection to the Gu Family.
The rewards they received were similar to those of the other villagers.
The Grand Prince did not show them any special favor just because they were surnamed Gu.
Zhao Yi was not particularly warm toward the Gu Family, but after his identity was revealed, the Grand Prince did speak to Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian, immediately saying that they were not to interfere in Aunt Xiao Xue’s marriage matters.
Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian could only listen in trembling fear.
After Zhao Yi met with County Magistrate Liu, Tong Huaqiong learned that County Magistrate Liu had long known about the Grand Prince’s identity.
During his youthful studies and travels, County Magistrate Liu met the Crown Prince, who was disguised as a scholar to experience the common people’s hardships, and the two became close friends.
They drank together, climbed heights together, and passionately discussed their ideals.
After the former Crown Prince was executed, County Magistrate Liu felt all his ideals were shattered, until he learned of the Crown Prince’s bloodline’s existence, reigniting his hopes.
County Magistrate Liu came out of the room with tearful eyes, resembling a rabbit, telling Tong Huaqiong that he would be transferred back to Shengjing next year, and then his mother and Tong Huaqiong could meet regularly again.
Some things are better left unsaid.
County Magistrate Liu was the late Crown Prince’s man and was naturally loyal to the Grand Prince.
And Gu Jingzhe, as Zhao Yi’s uncle from the common folk, would be cast into the Grand Prince’s faction even if he did not support him, so he must firmly support the Grand Prince.
From now on, they were all in the same boat, sharing both glory and loss.
"Xiao Long."
"Xiao Long, we’ve come to see you."
"What Xiao Long, call him the Grand Prince."
The classmates from the private school in Qinghe Bay rushed to Tong Huaqiong’s house to find the Grand Prince.
They still habitually called him Xiao Long.
They brought wild fruits picked from the mountains, eggs laid by their own chickens, ducks, and geese, and various rural trinkets, all as farewell gifts for the Grand Prince.
They didn’t care whether Zhao Yi was the Grand Prince; in their hearts, Zhao Yi was a playmate, a classmate.
They hadn’t gotten far before being blocked by a group of guards.
Zhao Yi dismissed the guards and smiled at the group of young children.
The children felt no pressure before the Grand Prince and swarmed forward, asking if he would return after he left.
Tong Huaqiong looked at the simple smiles on these children’s faces, feeling sentimental inside.
The life in Qinghe Bay would be a cherished memory for the Grand Prince, and these classmates were a beautiful presence in his memories.
There would be hard days ahead with the wind and frost.
"Even if Xiao Long doesn’t return, we can go to Shengjing to find him," Yaozu said.
"Shengjing is so far, how do we get there?" asked Liu Tieshan’s grandson.
Yaozu puffed up his chest and said, "Study hard like Uncle Jingzhe and take the imperial exams in the capital, and you’ll get to see Xiao Long."
Zhao Yi smiled, lightly saying to Yaozu, "Deal, I’ll be waiting for you in Shengjing."
He originally wanted to say he would wait for them in the Jinluan Palace.
But he didn’t say it in the end.
Tong Huaqiong was contemplating that Yaozu, in the current situation, was second only to Gu Jingzhe in the clan, far surpassing Yaozu in talent.
Maybe when Yaozu goes to take the imperial exams, it will be Zhao Yi standing on the Jinluan Palace setting the questions.
The children chattered and laughed, fantasizing about going to the capital for the exams and seeing Xiao Long.
"I want to see Mr. Su," Zhao Yi said.
"Mr. Su is at the private school," Yaozu said.
So the children surrounded Zhao Yi and went to the private school.
It is said that Mr. Su met with Zhao Yi privately, and they talked for a long time. No one knew what Zhao Yi said to Mr. Su, but afterward, Mr. Su agreed to accompany Zhao Yi to the capital.
Mr. Su’s decision caught Tong Pandi by surprise, and she quickly came to discuss it with Tong Huaqiong.
Tong Huaqiong asked, "Putting aside Mr. Su’s decision, do you want to go to Shengjing?"
Tong Pandi smiled and said, "Saying I don’t want to go would be a lie. Who doesn’t want to see the world in Shengjing? Staying in Yan Guan Town all your life has no meaning. I’m just worried about what will happen to the pig farm if I go to Shengjing."
Tong Huaqiong said, "Leave the pig farm to the village chief. You can still do farming in Shengjing."
Tong Pandi’s eyes lit up, and she said, "In that case, I’ll make arrangements and go to Shengjing with Aunt."
With that, Tong Pandi went to summon the village chief to discuss matters.
Since marrying Mr. Su, the deeper her understanding of him, the more Tong Pandi felt that Mr. Su was too talented to remain only a rural private school teacher.
Since Mr. Su was invited by the Grand Prince to teach in Shengjing, she would fully support him.
As for herself, she would not stand behind Mr. Su; she could still engage in business and continue developing the farming industry.
She didn’t believe the people in Shengjing wouldn’t eat delicious pork.
She had paved a way in Qinghe Bay, but for Hua Er Duo Er, they might grow up facing gossip for having a mother who remarried after a divorce. It would be better to take this opportunity to go to Shengjing together.
In Shengjing, the sky would be vast and the earth wide, and her two daughters would no longer suffer from any criticism or trouble.
The village chief, entrusted by Tong Huaqiong to manage the pig farm, was so happy he almost wanted to bow to her.
Tong Huaqiong’s pig farm employed quite a few village workers, and the farm alone brought many paths to wealth for the village.
Now that Tong Huaqiong was handing the pig farm over to him, it showed her regard for him and paved the way for his role as village chief.
"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely manage the pig farm well," Village Chief Liu said.
Tong Huaqiong had numerous businesses throughout Ning City, and every year, stewards would go to Shengjing to report and reconcile accounts with her, so naturally, as the rural pig farm administrator, he would also go.
The thought of being able to go to Shengjing on official expenses was delightful.
With Mr. Su going to Shengjing, Qinghe Bay would be short a teacher.
Thanks to Mr. Su’s recommendation, a former teacher from Wanliu Academy was recruited for Qinghe Bay.
This teacher was known for his exemplary scholarship and temper. Now aged, he sought a place in the countryside to teach village children.
For the people of Qinghe Bay, a teacher’s temper didn’t matter as long as he was knowledgeable.
Tong Huaqiong expanded her free scholarship support for talented young clan members to now include outstanding students attending Qinghe Bay’s village private school, regardless of their surname or whether they were from Qinghe Bay.
This was to pave the way for the Grand Prince’s future.
After all, Zhao Yi was destined to ascend to the throne, and the cultivation of talented people under him had to start now.
Since the Grand Prince and she were aligned together, helping the Grand Prince also meant helping herself.