539: Chapter 539 Show Sincerity

Princess Lanyi looked at her Haitang's smug expression and smiled helplessly.

"Haitang, how could those vulgar mortals ever compare to the Prince of Zhenbei?"

"They possess neither the bold and unrestrained spirit of 'rushing to the sea never to return,' nor the compassionate sorrow of 'morning like black silk, evening turning to snow.'"

"From ancient times to the present, Tianwu Continent has given birth to countless martial arts prodigies and literary masters, yet there is only one Prince of Zhenbei, Lin Xiao!"

Princess Lanyi sighed with emotion and silently picked up a collection of poems by the Prince of Zhenbei, printed by the Northern Bookstore.

She had gone to great lengths to have someone snatch it for her from the Northern Territory, as the first edition was in such high demand.

In less than a month since getting it, she had memorized every poem until she knew them by heart.

What she found regrettable was that many of Lin Xiao's poems were only excerpts, not the complete works.

It was said that the Prince of Zhenbei had not wanted to publish this collection at all; it was purely due to the fervent anticipation of the Great Gan citizens that the Northern Bookstore had bitten the bullet and released one.

Therefore, those below dared not ask the Prince for the full versions, and could only release as much as they had collected.

However, no one felt that the Prince of Zhenbei was doing anything wrong.

The Prince had too many things to worry about; how could he have the time to study these trivial poems every day?

"Princess, are you really planning to enter into a political marriage with the Prince of Zhenbei?"

Haitang pouted and said, "Didn't you use to say that you would rather travel the mountains and rivers, living a carefree life, than marry and have children?"

"I did say that. In fact, that was exactly what I thought a year ago."

Princess Lanyi sighed, "But that was because, before the Prince of Zhenbei appeared, none of the so-called young talents in the world could catch my eye."

"Whether it was Lv Sheng, the top scholar of our academy, or Gu Jianxin, who won the Tianwu Grand Tournament, they were all just mediocre."

"But the Prince of Zhenbei is different. His achievements, his strength, and his magnanimity are worthy of making me change my mind."

"Furthermore, our Prince Wus Mansion in Baiyue is in need of this marriage alliance. It must be fate."

Haitang frowned and said, "But the Prince of Zhenbei is already married and has so many women around him. Wouldn't you be too aggrieved, Princess?"

"Since ancient times, how many emperors have been faithful to one woman? It is normal for them to have three thousand beauties in their harem."

Princess Lanyi smiled confidently, "To win a man's heart, one must ultimately rely on one's own strength."

"Although they got a head start, the Prince has not yet declared himself emperor, so no one can say for sure what the future holds."

"Do you think... this Princess is afraid of competition?"

Haitang nodded vigorously, "That's right! You are one of the 'Three Wans' in the history of the academy. What woman in the world can compare to you, Princess?"

"I imagine those women beside the Prince of Zhenbei would feel ashamed of their own inferiority once they see you!"

"When the Prince of Zhenbei unites the country in the future, the one to serve as the Mother of the World will definitely be you!"

Princess Lanyi blushed, "Don't say that. The women who can stay by the Prince of Zhenbei's side are not ordinary. If I let my guard down, I will be the one to suffer."

"Besides, from what I know of the Prince of Zhenbei, he does not like to be too high-profile. So you, little girl, must mind your words and actions and be more disciplined when the time comes."

Haitang giggled and said, "Don't worry, Princess! Acting obedient is something I'm best at!"

"You really are mischievous..." Princess Lanyi said with a shake of her head and a smile.

Just then, the carriage driver in front spoke up, "Princess, there is a Northern Liquor shop ahead. Would you allow this old man to go down and buy some wine?"

"Old Man Wu, didn't you just buy some at the last rest stop?" Haitang chided, "Isn't that drinking a bit too fast?"

"You don't understand. This 'Feitian' Northern Liquor is rarely sold in Baiyue. I tasted it once, and I haven't been able to forget it since."

The driver surnamed Wu smacked his lips, "It's not easy to come to Cang Province and be so close to the world-famous Xinghua Village. What if I can buy some?"

"Uncle Wu, you've had a hard journey. If there is any Feitian, I will pay for it and gift it to you," Princess Lanyi said with a smile.

"Haha, then many thanks, Princess!" the old man said happily.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the carriage driver returned from the liquor shop.

"Sigh... They say Feitian requires limited pre-ordering and is completely out of stock. Damn it! There are so many rules just to sell some wine!"

"No wonder that Prince of Zhenbei can afford to support hundreds of thousands of troops; he certainly has plenty of ways to make money!"

Old Man Wu grumbled.

"It's just wine, yet they won't sell it even when offered money."

Haitang said indignantly, "Old man, when the Princess marries the Prince of Zhenbei, we'll have that Xinghua Village send you 'Feitian' every day!"

"Haha, that would be great! I, this old man, have really made a profit by serving as the Princess's carriage driver!" Old Man Wu laughed heartily.

Princess Lanyi couldn't do anything about the two of them, "As far as I know, the production of Feitian is extremely low, but as for other wines, Uncle Wu, you won't be short of them."

"Deal! Just for those words from the Princess, I give my approval for this marriage!"

Old Man Wu laughed heartily and sped up the carriage.

Meanwhile, inside Baishui City.

Lin Xiao finished his official duties for the day and returned to the Prince's Mansion.

He collapsed onto a recliner in the back garden, let out a long sigh, and felt somewhat exhausted.

"Husband, why are you so tired?"

Xiao Qingxuan and Su Wansha were discussing something in the pavilion and hurried over.

"It's all because of Chang Youkui and General Cao Wang. They arrested a whole bunch of corrupt officials in the Western Territory and insisted on reporting the cases to me one by one."

"I told them to execute them all, but they said it wasn't in accordance with the law and that sentencing needed to be based on the specific crimes. Now, they want to discuss how to pass judgment with me."

"Only today did I realize that the Great Gan has national laws, while the Northern Territory and Western Territory each have their own local statutes..."

"That Chang Youkui said that now that the North is unified, a new legal code needs to be revised. Sigh..."

Lin Xiao smiled bitterly. He hadn't studied law; what the hell did he know about legislation?

"Husband, you've only chatted with Registrar Chang for one day, and you're already this impatient?"

Xiao Qingxuan chided, "I have to listen to his long-winded lectures every few days, and from time to time, I even get lectured by him myself!"

"This Chang Youkui truly shows no favoritism when it comes to legal principles," Lin Xiao said, feeling completely overwhelmed.

To ensure fairness, he had appointed Chang Youkui, the Registrar of Yong Province, to enforce the law in the Western Territory across borders.

As a result, this dark-faced judge actually proposed revising new legal statutes, claiming that the laws of the Great Gan were no longer applicable.

Because Chang Youkui had handled so many major cases in Yong Province, he had great prestige despite his low official rank, and his word was law in the judicial office.

Taking advantage of Lin Xiao's return, Chang Youkui reported on the proposed legal improvements, combining them with various cases from the Western Territory.

"Wife, thank you for your hard work. I won't go to the judicial office tomorrow. Once the students from the Northern Academy arrive, I'm off to dig potatoes!"

Every profession has its own specialty; Lin Xiao admitted he wasn't cut out for this, so he might as well leave it to the women!

Xiao Qingxuan rolled her eyes at him, "Husband, surely you don't intend to have me review your memorials every day once you become emperor, do you?"

"Haha, that wouldn't be impossible."

What he needed were Comprehension Ability points, not imperial power.

"By the way, what were you two discussing in the pavilion?"

Su Wansha smiled and replied, "It's about Princess Lanti. She is arriving tomorrow. I was discussing with the Princess Consort how much sincerity we should demand if Prince Wu, Liu Bing wants to concede."