webnovelfull Chapter 431: Concerned
Chapter 431: Concerned
Upon learning that he would have to return to Bailu Academy, Sun Qingyuan seemed a little withdrawn, with his eyes lowered, thinking about life.
Du Kongqing stayed beside him quietly, but of course it was not just a simple companionship. She held a medical book in her hand, reading and watching him.
It was the time when the sun was rising, the orange glow was sprinkled on the floating water, the golden light was jumping, and the scenery was exceptionally vast.
Luo Xiaoran on the deck couldn't help but stretch, her mind empty, her eyes unfocused as she followed the ripples on the water.
Suddenly a cloak was draped over her body. Luo Xiaoran turned her head and happened to meet Chen Ji's gentle gaze, which made her heart move slightly.
"Thank you." Luo Xiaoran smiled lightly, her almond eyes bright.
"Xiao Ran is in a daze?"
"Hmm!" Luo Xiaoran looked at the river again.
"I came out to enjoy the scenery, but as I was looking at it, my mind wandered away."
Chen Ji stood behind Luo Xiaoran, following her gaze and gazing into the distance, his eyes sparkling.
"During the beginning of winter, the river enters its dry season, and the imperial court will restrict the fleets that can come and go. Therefore, there are no other ships around for the time being, which gives us the privilege of enjoying the beauty of the water and sky all to ourselves."
Chen Ji did not stand side by side with Luo Xiaoran, but silently moved closer to Luo Xiaoran, still standing behind her, within a short distance.
Looking from afar is a beautiful scenery, looking down is a beautiful woman.
A low voice came from above her head, clear and audible, and Luo Xiaoran's whole body stiffened.
In fact, she really wanted to remind Chen Ji that the way they were standing almost leaning on each other did not make her feel her heart beating fast. Instead, she was afraid that if she turned around suddenly, she would bump into his chin.
After hesitating for a long time, Luo Xiaoran still didn't speak.
First of all, she was glad that she washed her hair before leaving this morning and used sweet and fragrant osmanthus oil to comb her hair.
Secondly, let the two of them continue to fight each other on this somewhat unfamiliar road of love!
"Your Highness, does the Dongfeng Caravan maintain a fleet?" Luo Xiaoran suddenly spoke, breaking the silent and slightly awkward atmosphere.
"The Dongfeng Caravan is doing business by taking advantage of regional price differences to buy low and sell high, so transportation is extremely important. It needs to be both land and sea to avoid the risk of a single route being blocked. You can also compare the two and choose the best one."
Chen Ji slowly answered Luo Xiaoran's questions. In fact, only when facing Luo Xiaoran would Chen Ji say so many words in one breath.
"If my guess is correct, most of the people in the Dongfeng Caravan were drawn from the army, and the imperial court has sent military inspectors many times. If they noticed something unusual on the soldiers' roster..." A trace of worry flashed in Luo Xiaoran's eyes.
Chen Ji was well aware of the risks involved, especially now that there would be no further fighting on the border in the short term and the court was worried about the northern border army.
Good thing...
"Don't worry, Xiao Ran. Yun Hu has stepped up the training of personnel in recent years and has gradually replaced the soldiers in the caravan."
"manpower?"
Luo Xiaoran was stunned, and then seemed to think of something.
"The slaves that the Dongfeng Caravan brought from the south, the ones with good qualifications were kept by Yunhu, and the rest were sold to the outside world?"
"Yes."
After a pause, Chen Ji spoke in a hoarse voice, his icy voice seemed to be covered with a layer of mist:
"Will Xiao Ran think that as the King of Yan in Daliang, I allow my subordinates to engage in slave trade, which goes against the principle of loving the people like one's own children?"
Luo Xiaoran turned her head carefully, afraid of bumping into Chen Ji's chin.
Looking up at Chen Ji's obscure eyes, she spoke in a serious and firm tone:
"Human trafficking has been around for a long time and is legal in Daliang. To some extent, as long as the transaction is conducted on the premise of mutual consent, nothing else matters."
"Others can do this business, so why can't Your Highness do it?"
"It not only earns money for the Northern Army, but also brings more population resources to the sparsely populated North, and at the same time saves the lives of those who were originally unable to survive."
"I don't see any selfish intentions in your Highness's words. Moreover, since you asked this question today, I know that you care about the people."
"If you were not constrained by the imperial court and the Northern Barbarians, and if you had absolute power to influence the overall situation, Your Highness would definitely properly accommodate those homeless poor people."
As Chen Ji heard gentle words one after another, his heart could not control its excitement, and ripples appeared at the bottom of a deep pool.
He had heard Xiao Ran mention that in her time, women were also able to go to school and support themselves after graduation.
He thought that in Xiaoran's era, even women could be independent and make a living, without being controlled by their fathers and brothers before marriage, or restricted by their husbands and sons after marriage.
Then, the vast majority of people who cannot survive will be able to make their own living and will not have to sell themselves into slavery. The people of that era should live and work in peace and contentment, with few people going hungry.
Therefore, he was afraid that Xiao Ran would be disgusted by the Dongfeng Caravan's slave trading, and he was even more afraid that Xiao Ran would think that he was a superior who regarded the common people as ants.
Since childhood, he knew that since he was born into a royal family and enjoyed the support of the people, he should care about the people of the world and benefit the country.
But he was too weak at that time, and he was lucky to be able to protect himself, and had no time to care about other things.
Later, he went to the north, fought on the battlefield, repelled the enemy, and counterattacked, guarding the peace of the border and practicing his ambition to protect the peace of the people.
But after each battle, he did not feel the slightest joy of victory.
The land was scorched by smoke and corpses were everywhere.
The stability of the border is forged with the blood of thousands of soldiers!
He was extremely tired of war, but stopping it was easier said than done!
Therefore, he took advantage of the great changes in the Northern Yi royal court and mediated with various parties, trying his best to promote the establishment of mutual trade.
It can not only enable the people of the two countries to exchange what they have and what they need and promote trade, but also bring a period of peace to Daliang, which can be said to kill two birds with one stone.
However, as soon as the war stopped, everything in the court became turbulent, and it really... didn't give him a chance to relax.
"Your Highness, can you lend me some of Yunhu's trained personnel? And craftsmen, all kinds of craftsmen."
When Luo Xiaoran said she wanted to be a big landlord and earn military pay for the Northern Border Army, she was not just saying it casually.
However, her previous wish was to become a small landlord and live a carefree life in a small place like Hexi Village where mountains and rivers meet, so she did not save much wealth.
She lacked both manpower and funds to do business. After much deliberation, she decided to let Chen Ji invest in her business.
Chen Ji obviously also thought of Luo Xiaoran's bold words at that time, and his heart couldn't help but warm.
"There's no need to mention 'borrowing' between you and me. If you need any help, just write to Yun Hu."
"I know clearly that if a woman like you stops living in seclusion in the countryside, you will definitely cause some waves in this world."
"It's just that I'm afraid that you'll encounter setbacks, run your business poorly, and suffer a loss of spirit. I'm also afraid that if you make a lot of money, you'll be exposed and attract wolves."
Chen Ji's lips curled up slightly, his voice was as gentle as ever, but there was worry in his eyes that was hard to ignore.
Even though Huineng had wanted to use Xiaoran at the beginning, he never thought of asking Xiaoran to do anything for him.
In his opinion, Xiaoran gave up her peaceful life and chose to stay with him, which was already a great reward from God.
"I really don't know if I have the talent for business, but with your Highness the Prince of Yan as my backer, why not give it a try?"
The girl raised her dark eyebrows slightly, as if she was pouting and a little bit unconvinced. The black fox cloak made her face look even whiter like jade, just like the moon in the sky, reflecting the scenery of lakes and mountains on earth.