Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

After Qiao Jingjing left, the four people in the hall remained silent for a moment.

The clerk spoke first: "Sir, your hesitation just now was because you were afraid," he gestured upwards. "Could it be that news has come from Madam's family?"

Lu Qinbei sighed, "It's precisely because there's no news that it's so frightening. His Majesty has seven princes, and all of them have been granted the title of king, but our seventh prince is still a prince."

However, princes who haven't received a title don't have fiefdoms, so His Majesty's decision to grant Runan as his fiefdom is truly perplexing.

Master Ma habitually stroked his beard. "My lord," he said, "I believe His Majesty's actions are to protect His Highness. The Imperial Concubine remains favored, and His Majesty intends to elevate her, while the First Prince's faction, led by Prince Jing, has been repeatedly suppressed. Moreover..."

He leaned closer and whispered, "I heard that His Majesty originally intended for the Seventh Prince to be the Crown Prince, bestowing upon him the title of Prince Chen, and to be formally appointed Crown Prince upon his triumphant return."

However, it's unclear how the news leaked out, and His Highness has been persecuted. This leads to the conclusion that His Majesty was determined to protect His Highness's safety.

Magistrate Lu was surprised, "Is the news true? How did Elder Ma find out?"

"Sir, have you forgotten that one of my classmates is currently working in the Ministry of Rites? The imperial edict bestowed upon him by the Prince of Chen is still being held there."

Magistrate Li comforted him, saying, "My lord, there is no need to worry. I believe this is a rare opportunity. As Elder Ma said, His Majesty cherishes the Seventh Prince and will surely show some compassion for Runan."

Registrar He put down his teacup and addressed the magistrate: “I also believe this is an opportunity. As for your concerns, sir, we might as well add fuel to the fire behind the scenes and let this matter escalate until the whole country knows about it. With more people from all over the country seeking our help, it won’t be so easy for those who want to pull something.”

After discussion, the group unanimously decided to begin the experiment with the county government's official land. Lu Qinbei wrote two letters: one secretly presented to His Majesty, and the other, under the guise of a family letter from the Feng family, sent to the patriarch of the Ningnan Marquis's residence.

At the same time, Xuan Yi received a message by carrier pigeon, untied the small scroll, and quickly walked towards Tantai Zhou.

"Master, Xiao Ba has sent a letter."

"Bring it here quickly."

Unrolling the scroll, the few lines of text brought smiles to the faces of those who read it.

"Great! I didn't expect to hear from you so quickly. It's a month faster than I anticipated." He eagerly instructed, "Xuanyi, quickly go and stand guard at the door. When Miss Qiao returns, invite her over."

Doctor Feng was in high spirits, walking briskly, as if he had become decades younger. As he walked, he muttered to himself, "I wonder when Qiao's master will return. I really want to discuss medical techniques with this master!"

Xuan Yi smiled and said, "You're a master too!"

Old Feng shook his head and said, "I'm just an ordinary person. If I had these precious medicinal herbs, I wouldn't be willing to take them out so easily."

Since using ambergris to treat Tantai Zhou's health, there have been new surprises every day. The medicinal properties of these rare herbs are truly amazing.

After saying goodbye, Qiao Jingjing drove her carriage home.

The journey home is always easy and pleasant. I even grabbed a cup of hot taro ball milk tea along the way, which was something I had stocked up on beforehand.

It gets cold easily when you take it out, so I pour it into a thermos and drink it slowly, which greatly reduces the biting cold and makes my chest feel warm.

Upon arriving at Daba Village, Xuan Yi spotted Qiao Jingjing from afar and went up to greet her, "Miss Qiao, our master would like to invite you to come over."

"Is something wrong?"

"Um,"

Qiao Jingjing slung her thermos across her shoulder and wrapped her cloak tightly around herself as she entered the courtyard.

Walking behind, Xuan Yi watched Qiao Jingjing stride forward, rubbed his eyes, and thought, "Why does that cloak look so much like His Highness's?"

Upon entering the inner room, Tantai Zhou inexplicably became nervous. He raised his hand to try and calm his heart, which was pounding in his chest, but then realized it was inappropriate and forcibly restrained himself.

Qiao Jingjing spoke first, "Speak, what do you want to see me about?"

Tantai Zhou took a deep breath: "There's something I want to tell you."

Qiao Jingjing countered, "Is it about your identity?"

Tantai Zhou nodded. "I knew that a woman as intelligent as you would have already seen that I was no ordinary person."

“I am indeed not an ordinary rich young master. In fact, I am the seventh son of the current emperor, Tantai Zhou.” Tantai Zhou looked at Qiao Jingjing with firm eyes, deciding to be honest with her.

Qiao Jingjing didn't show much surprise after hearing this, as if she had expected it. Her previous guesses had been confirmed; he was indeed no ordinary person. She just hadn't expected him to be Runan's biggest backer.

“I have concealed much from you before, please forgive me, young lady. I…” Tantai Zhou’s face flushed slightly.

Qiao Jingjing smiled slightly and interrupted him, "Actually, you don't need to apologize to me. You didn't do anything wrong. Everyone has secrets. I don't know why you're hiding here, but it's nothing more than those kinds of things."

She had watched historical dramas about political intrigue before, especially the Dynasty series, which she watched repeatedly. Besides, there was a reason why he chose not to speak, just as there was a reason why he chose to be honest now. Why bother pressing him for an answer?

"At first I was worried that saving Xuanyi would bring some trouble, but then you and your servant came, and I could tell that you are not the kind of person who would act without restraint, so I felt relieved."

Tantai Zhou was somewhat stunned. He hadn't expected Qiao Jingjing to be so direct, and for a moment he didn't know how to answer.

He was worried that the other person would be angry, but he didn't expect that the person didn't take it to heart at all.

Seeing this, Qiao Jingjing changed the subject, saying, "Those people you mentioned last time, were they all your soldiers, wounded or disabled veterans who fought their way back from the battlefield?"

Tantai Zhou nodded: "That's right. Before they were poisoned, I was able to take care of them. Now, I have indeed been negligent."

Qiao Jingjing was silent for a moment, then gently shook her head. "As a member of the royal family, you are already stronger than many noble sons. How many wounded or disabled soldiers do you have under your command?"

Tantai Zhou answered in full: "Five thousand, of which nearly a thousand are completely incapacitated."

"If you want to support these people, you need to provide them with survival skills and a suitable living environment. For example, the 300 people I asked for, they can earn their own living through their own abilities. Isn't that better than you throwing money at them to support them?"

Tantai Zhou smiled and said, "Then I'll have to rely on Miss Qiao's help to teach me how to settle these people."

"Let me think about it and I'll make a plan for you later. Speaking of which, you're the highest-ranking official in Runan now, so I'd like to start some business. Could you look after me?"

If there's a powerful figure out how to get ahead, why not take advantage of them?

"Of course it's not a problem. Just do what you want." His tone was so natural that Qiao Jingjing didn't even detect the doting in it.

In truth, Tantai Zhou himself didn't know why he was so willing to talk to her, and he felt very comfortable standing next to her. It was as if he should be close to her and talk to her more.

Qiao Jingjing was distracted by the jade pendant in her space and was trying to soothe it, completely unaware that the person opposite her was focused on her.

After calming Yu Pai down, Qiao Jingjing asked again, "Do you want to sit in that seat?"