The Later Three Kingdoms: Slaying Deng Ai, and Reviving the Han Dynasty

"I'm not sick, I just want to find something to do," Liu Chen said helplessly. He had no choice. As a sixteen-year-old prince, and a very well-behaved one at that, he had no way of purchasing things from outside the palace and had to rely on his mother's arrangements.

"If you want something to do, you can ride horses and shoot arrows. You can read books. If you think the horse is inferior, I'll buy you a better one. If you think you don't have enough books, I'll have someone copy more books for you. Your uncle's family has a rich collection of books." Consort Li tried to save her son.

Liu Chen shook his head, his expression unchanged, and said, "I'm sorry to disappoint you, Mother. I don't want to study or practice riding and archery anymore for the time being." He then sighed, "Mother, I almost died. What's the use of studying when you're dead? What's the use of having a strong body? I want to enjoy myself."

Oh no, oh no. My son is going to become a spoiled brat. Consort Li was heartbroken, feeling as if her phoenix had suddenly lost its feathers and become a roaming chicken.

But as a mother, Consort Li's support for her son was unconditional. Moreover, she still felt lingering fear when she recalled Liu Chen's fall from his horse. She hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and sighed, "Alright, Mother will bring your things in."

They say a doting mother spoils her son. I guess I am one of them. Consort Li sighed inwardly.

"Thank you, Mother," Liu Chen said happily.

"Silly child." Consort Li pulled Liu Chen into her arms and showered him with affection.

Liu Chen felt a little embarrassed, but not wanting to upset Consort Li, he had no choice but to let her hug him.

After holding the child for a while, Consort Li let go and was about to speak.

A eunuch entered from outside, bowed, and said, "Young Master Chen, Your Excellency. The Imperial Household Department has sent someone to deliver the Shu brocade and silk for the next season."

A glint flashed in Liu Chen's eyes. The palace's clothing was also the responsibility of the Imperial Household Department. However, the Imperial Household Department did not provide ready-made clothes; instead, it sent fabric each season for the palace servants to make clothes for the nobles.

So what was delivered was cloth.

His clothes need to be sewn every year. Besides the fact that he is growing, it's also because both Shu brocade and ordinary silk are prone to fading.

It's difficult to wear repeatedly. It's a seasonal item, so take care of it regularly and avoid getting it dirty.

Shu brocade and silk fabrics are very expensive, but the powerful and wealthy cannot live without them.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Chen said to the eunuch, "Then proceed with the inspection."

"Yes." The eunuch bowed and left.

Liu Chen then turned to Consort Li and said, "I need to trouble you with something, Mother." After a pause, he continued, "I would like to ask you to send this batch of Shu brocade and silk, as well as the Shu brocade in my storeroom, out of the palace to sell."

Now we need to buy iron pots and timber. We also need to sell Shu brocade and silk for clothing. What's going on? Consort Li let out a silent lament, then thought for a moment and cautiously asked, "Child, are you short of money? Did you lose a lot of money gambling with your brothers?"

After a pause, she added, "You still need clothes, otherwise what kind of appearance would you have? If you're short of money, I still have a hundred taels of silver. But that's really not enough." She gritted her teeth and said, "Besides Chengdu, I also have five hundred acres of land that your maternal grandfather gave me."

Liu Chen's lips twitched, and he quickly said, "Mother, what are you thinking? How could I gamble with my brothers?" After a pause, he explained, "I just suddenly felt that gold was very dazzling and I liked it. I wanted to exchange the Shu brocade and silk for gold."

He quickly changed his mind and hatched another wicked plan, saying, "Mother, if you have the means, I will gladly accept the hundred taels of gold. Please also allocate me the five hundred acres of fertile land outside Chengdu."

Why do you want everything? Are you lying to me? Did you really lose money to your brothers? My child is only sixteen! Which heartless bastard would lie to my child about gambling? Consort Li cried out inwardly, but after hesitating for a moment, she weakly said, "Fine, give it all to my child."

She spends very little on daily expenses. As a noblewoman, she receives a stipend from the palace. Gold is of no use to her. Let the child have it if he wants it. Anyway, when she kicks the bucket, everything will be the child's.

Before Liu Chen, Consort Li completely surrendered. She obediently left with the Shu brocade and silk sent by the Imperial Household Department. Not long after, she sent someone with one hundred taels of gold and the deeds to five hundred acres of fertile land outside the city.

Warehouse.

Looking at the neatly arranged one hundred gold pieces on the plate, and then at the gold in his own storeroom, Liu Chen felt a sense of joy.

This isn't just money. This is clearly wealth that can communicate with spirits and gods, clearly something that can change the future of Liu Han.

"Let's start from here," Liu Chen thought to himself.

After thinking for a moment, Liu Chen reached out and picked up a scroll of bamboo slips from the table to examine it, his brows immediately furrowing.

Consort Li owns 500 mu of fertile land outside Chengdu. Sichuan and Chongqing are known as the Land of Abundance, and the land of Chengdu is the most fertile within the Land of Abundance.

These 500 mu of land were not rented out to others to cultivate, but were allocated to Li Guiren's family servants for cultivation.

Although Liu Chen wasn't entirely clear on the current yield per mu, he could tell that the output of these 500 mu of land was extremely low.

"Was it a servant who took advantage of my mother's weakness to line his own pockets?" Liu Chen couldn't help but be suspicious, recalling Consort Li's weak character.

"Put it aside for now, and take a look when you have the chance to leave the palace." Liu Chen shook his head and rolled up the bamboo slip again.

The prince's status was indeed noble, but the palace had become a prison, restricting his actions in everything he did.

Although Consort Li was gentle in nature, she was very efficient in her work. In just one day, she brought the materials that Liu Chen needed into the palace from outside.

Liu Chen specially set up a spot in a corner of his small palace, built a shed, and began to study how to make delicious food using the materials he had.

Stir-frying, deep-frying.

They "invented" thirty dishes. Although the conditions were rudimentary, the food they made was a true delicacy compared to the unpalatable food we have today.

Liu Chen was very satisfied.

That morning, he found an opportunity to leave his small palace and found Mi Zhao, who was on duty with the Imperial Guards.

He didn't say it to her face, but only asked Mi Zhao to come see him after get off work.

He had other options, such as seeking help from his maternal clan, the Li family. For a prince in the palace, maintaining ties with his maternal clan was a matter of course.

But then he thought again, the Mi family is a professional merchant family, and it seems more reliable to ask Mi Zhao to open a restaurant or something.

Moreover, involving Mi Zhao in such activities can increase intimacy.

He will definitely need to control the government in the future; otherwise, there's no way he can save Liu Han. Now that he has control of Liu Han, shouldn't he go a step further? Should he carry on the legacy of Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, and with all his might, launch a northern expedition to the Central Plains?

To accomplish these tasks, he also needed capable people. Mi Zhao, possessing the entrepreneurial genes of Liu Han, was naturally the first choice.

Moreover, he and Mi Zhao were good friends.