I was chased by my sickly junior brother who had two lives

In the capital of Daqing, the sun shines on the towering palace, and the golden glazed tiles shine. Duke Chen Jue and his wife Chen Jia, dressed in solemn and gorgeous clothes, take a car to the East Palace. Chen Jue wears a black brocade robe with delicate cloud patterns embroidered with gold thread, and a warm jade pendant tied around his waist, showing majesty and calmness; Chen Jia wears a light blue Luo skirt embroidered with blooming plum blossoms, and wears a phoenix hairpin on her head, dignified and elegant with a gentle touch.

In the carriage, Chen Jia frowned slightly and said softly to Chen Jue: "Husband, today we are going to meet the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess and give them a portion of the profits. I wonder how the Crown Prince will react? Although we are sincere, what if the Crown Prince misunderstands our intentions..."

Chen Jue gently held her hand and comforted her, "Madam, don't worry. The prince is wise and intelligent, and he will definitely understand our intentions. This time we are not only sharing the profits, but also want to use this opportunity to establish a closer relationship with the East Palace, so that we can have more help in the court and business in the future. In addition, we have also prepared the story of the Silk Road. The prince has always been interested in these things, which will definitely make the atmosphere harmonious."

Chen Jia nodded, the worry on her face slightly reduced: "I hope so. But although the story of the Silk Road is interesting, I am still a little nervous and worried that I won't be able to tell it well."

Chen Jue smiled and consoled her, "Madam, you are very intelligent. You already know those stories by heart and will surely tell them brilliantly. Besides, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess are not harsh people, so just relax, Madam."

The carriage slowly stopped and arrived at the gate of the East Palace. Chen Jue and Chen Jia got off the carriage and, led by the guards, walked into the main hall of the East Palace.

The Crown Prince and the Crown Princess had already been waiting in the palace. The Crown Prince was wearing a bright yellow robe, with an upright figure, a handsome face, and a look of wisdom and majesty; the Crown Princess was wearing a pink dress, with pearls and jade on her head, and her temperament was noble and elegant.

Chen Jue and Chen Jia stepped forward and saluted: "Your Highness Chen Jue (I am Chen Jia) pays homage to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness the Crown Princess. May Your Highness and His Royal Highness the Crown Princess live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

The prince nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Duke and Madam, please stand up. Is there something important you two are here to discuss today?"

Chen Jue stood up and said respectfully, "Your Highness, my wife and I came here this time, firstly to pay our respects to Your Highness and the Crown Princess, and secondly to share a portion of our recent profits from the Silk Road as a token of respect to Your Highness and the Eastern Palace."

The Crown Princess raised her eyebrows slightly and said with interest, "Oh? Business on the Silk Road? I have heard of it, it is very profitable. I am a little surprised that the Duke and Madam are so generous."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Your Highness, the Crown Princess is too kind. The success of the business on the Silk Road is inseparable from the support of Your Highness and the court. We are just showing our appreciation. Moreover, the smooth development of this business is also thanks to Your Highness's wise decision, which has made the Western Regions relatively stable and the trade routes unobstructed."

The prince nodded with satisfaction: "Madam Guogong is right. The stability of the Western Regions is related to the prosperity of our Daqing Kingdom. I will do my best to protect it. However, business on the Silk Road must not be smooth sailing, right?"

Chen Jue said, "Your Highness is wise. There are indeed many twists and turns on this Silk Road. Not only do we have to deal with the harsh natural environment, but we also have to guard against those thieves and tribes with bad intentions. But fortunately, we were well prepared, established good relations with the local tribes and government, and hired a number of extraordinary guards, so that the business can proceed smoothly."

The Crown Princess asked curiously, "Are there any interesting stories on the Silk Road? I always like to hear these anecdotes."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Your Highness, there are countless stories on the Silk Road. For example, the last time we transported goods, we passed through a small town in the desert. Although the town was not big, it brought together merchants from different countries and tribes. They brought all kinds of rare treasures, including exquisite jewelry, unique spices, and magical medicinal herbs."

The prince leaned forward with interest. "Oh? So lively? Go on."

Chen Jia continued, "At that time, our caravan stopped in the town to rest. There was a merchant from a distant country who brought a musical instrument that we had never seen before. The sound of the instrument was clear and pleasant, like the sound of nature. Seeing our curiosity, he took the initiative to play a song for us. The melody was beautiful and moving, making us feel as if we were in a mysterious forest, surrounded by dancing elves."

The Crown Princess was so fascinated by what she heard that she couldn't help but exclaimed: "It sounds so wonderful. What happened next?"

Chen Jia continued, "Later, we talked with the businessman and learned that he came from a country with a long history and culture. He told us about the customs and practices of his country, as well as their business practices. We also introduced him to our Daqing country's silk, tea, and porcelain. He was very interested in our goods and signed a cooperation agreement with us on the spot."

The prince smiled and said, "This is a wonderful thing. It seems that the Silk Road is not only a commercial road, but also a road for cultural exchange."

Chen Jue said: "Your Highness is right. Through this Silk Road, we can not only make profits, but also establish friendships with merchants from various countries and promote cultural exchanges and integration. This has far-reaching significance for the development of our Daqing country."

The prince nodded slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said: "After listening to the Duke and Madam's story, I have a deeper understanding of the Western Regions and the Silk Road. I think our current strategy for maintaining stability in the Western Regions can be further improved."

Chen Jue asked respectfully, "I wonder what your Highness thinks? I would like to hear the details."

The prince said: "I plan to increase the number of people stationed at the border. Let more people go to the Western Regions, cultivate land there, and develop agriculture. This will not only enhance our strength in the Western Regions, but also make the Western Regions more stable. Moreover, these people can also trade with local tribes and promote economic development."

Chen Jue's eyes lit up and he said, "Your Highness, this is a brilliant plan. These border garrisons can not only strengthen the strength of the border, but also promote local economic development, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone. Moreover, these garrisons can also become a strong support for our commercial activities, providing more resources and guarantees for our Silk Road business."

The Crown Princess also nodded and said, "Yes, this is indeed a good idea. However, garrisoning the people on the border is not an easy task. Many problems need to be solved, such as the distribution of land, the supply of food, and security guarantees, etc."

The prince said, "What the princess said is very true. I have already considered these issues. I will ask the relevant departments to formulate a detailed plan to ensure the smooth implementation of the border settlement. Moreover, I will also give these settlements certain preferential policies to encourage them to go to the Western Regions."

Chen Jia said: "Your Highness has thought carefully and will surely make this strategy of garrisoning the people on the border a success. I believe that under your leadership, the Western Region of our Daqing Kingdom will become more prosperous."

The prince smiled and said, "Thank you for your good words, Madam Duke. I also hope that the business of the Silk Road will become more and more prosperous under the management of the Duke and his wife. If you need my help in the future, please feel free to ask."

Chen Jue and Chen Jia quickly bowed and said, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your kindness. My wife and I will do our best to serve Your Highness and the Great Qing Kingdom."

Afterwards, everyone talked about some topics related to the Silk Road and the development of the Western Regions, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.

Before they knew it, it was getting dark. Chen Jue and Chen Jia stood up to say goodbye: "Your Highness, Your Highness, Crown Princess, we are sorry for disturbing you today. Your Madam and I will take our leave now."

The prince nodded slightly and said, "Go slowly, Duke and his wife. When you are free in the future, you can come to the East Palace often."

Chen Jue and Chen Jia bowed again, then turned and left the East Palace.

On the carriage back to the Duke's Mansion, Chen Jia's face was filled with a joyful smile: "My husband, I had a very pleasant conversation with the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess today. It seems that our goal this time has been achieved. Not only did we share the profits, but we also got the Crown Prince's recognition. It's great."

Chen Jue also smiled and said, "Yes, the prince is wise and intelligent, and he also attaches great importance to the development of the Silk Road and the Western Regions. With the support of the prince, our future business will be more successful. Moreover, if this strategy of garrisoning people on the border can be successfully implemented, it will also be of great help to our business activities."

Chen Jia nodded: "However, the people stationed on the border also need some help and support from us. We should also plan carefully how to do our part in this regard."

Chen Jue said, "Madam, what you said is absolutely right. We can provide some support to these settlers in terms of material supply and business cooperation. This will not only help them gain a foothold in the Western Regions, but also open up a wider market for our business."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "My husband is so thoughtful. I feel relieved when you are here."

The carriage moved slowly in the night. Chen Jue and Chen Jia continued to discuss future plans in the carriage, their hearts full of hope and longing.

After returning to the Duke's Mansion, Chen Jue immediately summoned the counselors and stewards in the mansion and told everyone the prince's plan and their ideas.

The counselors expressed their opinions one after another. Some suggested providing assistance in material supply, while others suggested cooperating with the settlers in business. Chen Jue listened carefully to everyone's suggestions and put forward his own views and opinions from time to time.

After some discussion, everyone finally decided on a preliminary plan. Chen Jue decided to start with the supply of materials, providing some necessary daily necessities and production tools for the settlers near the commercial base of the Duke's Mansion in the Western Regions. At the same time, he also began to plan the specific matters of commercial cooperation with the settlers.

Chen Jia was responsible for arranging the women in the mansion to make some clothes and quilts for the settlers. She personally selected the best fabrics and guided the women to make them carefully. She hoped that these clothes and quilts would make the settlers feel the care of the Duke's Mansion.

As the days passed, Chen Jue and Chen Jia were busy implementing their plans. At the same time, the prince was also vigorously promoting the strategy of garrisoning the people on the border.

Soon after, the first group of settlers began to head to the Western Regions. Chen Jue and Chen Jia personally went to see them off, presenting them with supplies and blessings.

Seeing the settlers embarking on the journey to the Western Regions with hope, Chen Jue and Chen Jia were also full of expectations. They believed that under the leadership of the prince and with everyone's joint efforts, the Western Regions would usher in a new prosperity and the business of the Silk Road would become more prosperous.

As the settlers gradually settled down in the Western Regions, Chen Jue's business team also began to cooperate with them. The food and vegetables grown by the settlers became important supplies for the caravans, and the daily necessities and advanced production technologies brought by the caravans also greatly improved the lives of the settlers.

On the way back from the Western Regions, a caravan brought back good news. It turned out that with the efforts of the settlers, some wasteland in the Western Regions had been reclaimed into fertile farmland, and the grain output had increased significantly. Moreover, the settlers had established good relations with the local tribes and jointly carried out some trade activities.

Chen Jue and Chen Jia were very happy to hear the news. Chen Jue said, "Madam, it seems that the prince's strategy of garrisoning the border has begun to bear fruit. This is a major benefit to our Silk Road business."

Chen Jia smiled and said, "Yes, this is the result of the prince's wise decision and the hard work of the residents. We have done our part, and we hope to continue to cooperate with the residents in the future to achieve mutual benefit and win-win results."

As time went by, the business of the Silk Road became more and more prosperous, and the Western Region became more prosperous and stable. Chen Jue and Chen Jia played an important role in this, and their names became more famous in the business community and court of Daqing.

Their relationship with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess became closer because of this cooperation. They often went to the East Palace to exchange the latest situation of the Silk Road and the development of the Western Regions with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

During one of the exchanges, the crown prince said with emotion: "Duke and his wife, the prosperity of the Silk Road and the stability of the Western Regions are inseparable from your efforts. On behalf of the Daqing Kingdom, I thank you for your efforts."

Chen Jue and Chen Jia quickly bowed and said, "Your Highness, your words are too kind. My wife and I have only done our part. All this is the result of your wise leadership and the support of the court."

The prince smiled and said, "In any case, your contribution cannot be ignored. I hope that we can continue to work together in the future to make Daqing's Silk Road more glorious and make the Western Regions a prosperous place for our Daqing."

Chen Jue and Chen Jia said firmly: "My wife and I will live up to your expectations and do our best for the prosperity of your Highness and the Great Qing Kingdom."