After the Grand Commandant went far away to Yizhou Prefecture, it also meant that in this capital city, other than him, there was no one else who could restrain the Crown Prince and the Right Chancellor Zhu Zilin.
These two were ambitious, as everyone on the street knew. This time they would probably completely override His Majesty!
No one knew what His Majesty was thinking.
"Alright, I'm a little tired too. All of you withdraw."
After several court officials left, Liu Zhan did not rest.
Although he was advanced in age, he was not muddled at all.
The Crown Prince had been in office for over twenty years, and the patience he should have had long worn out.
In recent years he had colluded with the important court officials, suppressing all other imperial brothers who might have the chance to seize his position. To Liu Zhan he was even more perfidious, secretly controlling the court.
By the time Liu Zhan realized it, the Crown Prince had already gained momentum. As long as he did not make a big mistake, Liu Zhan could not depose him even if he wanted to.
According to the information he obtained, this rascal had also secretly raised a private army, hiding them on farms near the capital, with over three thousand people.
Do not look down on these three thousand people.
As long as the city guards and imperial guards stood by, with the momentum of thunder they could charge into the imperial palace to seize power. That would be a piece of cake.
It was precisely because he knew about these things that he used the excuse of food shortage, not allowing the border armies to start a war, leaving the veteran military minister Xu stationed in the capital.
But this could only make the Crown Prince temporarily abandon the idea of seizing the throne.
In the fall, the Crown Prince and the Right Chancellor would probably suggest sending more troops to the borders, making Xu leave the capital.
By then, wouldn't the capital be under the Crown Prince's control?
Looking at the stars in the sky, Liu Zhan sighed lightly.
Time and tide wait for no man.
If he were a few years younger, a little healthier, the Crown Prince would not have dared to be so overt.
"Send Yun'er to see me."
"Yes."
Not long after, Liu Yun arrived.
He was Liu Zhan's youngest son, only 16 years old this year.
Although he had been naughty and mischievous since childhood, Liu Zhan knew his inherent nature was kind, so he was very fond of him.
But it was precisely this fondness that made the Crown Prince extremely wary, trying in every possible way to eliminate him.
Liu Zhan did not know how much longer he could live, but he knew that if he died, Liu Yun would certainly not live much longer either.
"Father, why have you summoned me so late?"
"I know you feel bored in the capital, so this time I'm sending you somewhere to do something for me."
"Really?" Upon hearing he could go out and have fun, with his father's permission at that, Liu Yun could not hold back his excitement. "Where to?"
"Baichuan County, Yizhou Prefecture."
...
After bumping along in the slow carriage for half a month, Liu Yun felt his bones were about to fall apart.
Added to the humid and hot climate, he wished he could grow wings and fly directly to Yizhou Prefecture.
"Your Highness," a handsome young attendant said through the curtain of the carriage. "We have entered the territory of Yizhou Prefecture. We should reach Yizhou city by nightfall. I've sent someone ahead to book an inn."
"No need, no need, no need," Liu Yun said impatiently as he flipped open the curtain. "I'm here on a confidential mission this time. What business do I have going to Yizhou city? Are you worried Prefect Hu won't recognize me?"
"Then...where are we going?"
"Bai Song, how can you be so stupid?" Liu Yun said. "Of course we're going straight to Baichuan County."
"Yes, Your Highness."
Seeing Bai Song's wooden expression, Liu Yun sighed lightly.
How boring!
Just then the convoy suddenly stopped.
"Why have we stopped?"
"Young master," Bai Song said. "The convoy ahead is blocking the road. It looks like they are...changing carts?"
Bai Song wasn't sure if they were changing carts, because those carts looked a bit strange.
Unable to move forward for so long made Liu Yun very impatient. He slid out of the carriage, and his eyes were drawn to a row of three-wheeled carts.
"It's a three-wheeled cart, I've seen them before!"
Though the three-wheeled cart he had seen was a more "advanced" passenger tricycle, not the large cargo tricycle like the ones before his eyes.
Seeing a group of porters loading sack after sack of coal onto the three-wheeled carts recklessly, he became curious.
Seeing a man in green sitting by the roadside resting, he went up and asked: "Brother, can this three-wheeled cart really carry so much?"
This person was Jia Zhanliang, Li Yao's agent merchant. He was here to pick up goods, and also to deliver several dozen carts of coal for Li Yao.
Seeing the other dressed lavishly and quite young, he guessed it was some young master out gaining experience.
Befriending such a person would not hurt.
"This is barely anything. It can hold at least this much more."
"Can one person pull it?"
"Of course," Jia Zhanliang said. "This three-wheeled cart is a treasure. One person can pull as much cargo as an ox cart. So merchants from out of town all switch to three-wheelers once they reach Yizhou's territory."
"Why is that?"
"Naturally to save money," Jia Zhanliang said. "How much grass does an ox eat every day? Switching to three-wheelers eliminates that cost."
"What about going up hills?"
"A few people can push it up together," Jia Zhanliang said. "After this stretch is the Yizhou plain, the terrain is very flat, so speed will be even faster."
Liu Yun had not expected three-wheeled carts to be so widely used in Yizhou Prefecture already. He clicked his tongue in wonder.
If this cart really was invented by that Li Yao, it would be a great contribution indeed.
"Brother, where are you headed?"
"Baichuan County, He Wan village."
Liu Yun's eyes lit up. "What a coincidence, I'm heading to Baichuan County as well. May I join you?"
"You're also going to Baichuan County?" Jia Zhanliang asked. "What business?"
"I'm going to buy soap and detergent, to resell in the border regions."
The border regions? Jia Zhanliang thought, that wouldn't conflict with his territory.
He was the agent for the north, though the border regions were also in the north, he didn't dare go to those lawless lands. Without connections and powerful backing, one could easily lose his life there.
It was good timing to bring a big customer to Mistress Li. She would surely be very happy.
"Then you've found the right person. I'm also headed to He Wan village to pick up goods."
The two sat in the shade of a roadside tree, chatting merrily. Later, under Jia Zhanliang's suggestion, Liu Yun also hired a fleet of three-wheelers to transport the goods he had brought.
With the two convoys joined together, they swiftly headed for Baichuan County.
Just as Jia Zhanliang said, after a stretch the terrain flattened. The men riding the three-wheelers, each pulled nearly a thousand catties of goods, yet rode with ease.