"I wonder how the negotiations between His Highness and the people sent by Prince Han are going?" Uncle Gao looked up at the night outside the window, a worried expression on his face. "They’ve been talking all afternoon and haven’t e out yet. Could something have happened? Should we go and check?"
"What do you think could happen?" He Lianfang sat at the table, holding a pen and writing something. "No matter how bold Prince Han’s people are, they wouldn’t dare harm the Prince in his own mansion."
"Didn’t you say Prince Han is an unfathomable person with unpredictable intentions? We don’t know the true purpose of the people he sent, so we must be cautious," Uncle Gao said, frowning slightly. "Now His Highness is alone with Prince Han’s men. What if they mean harm? I’m getting more and more uneasy. I’ll go take a look."
He Lianfang did not stop Uncle Gao. It wasn’t long before Uncle Gao returned.
"His Highness is still talking to the people sent by Prince Han," Uncle Gao reported upon his return, his expression less worried than before. "Tong Xi went into the study earlier to serve tea to His Highness and Prince Han’s people. His Highness is fine."
He Lianfang ignored Uncle Gao.
Uncle Gao continued speaking to himself, "What exactly does Prince Han intend to do?"
He Lianfang put down his pen and looked up at the puzzled Uncle Gao. "Why do you care about this?"
"I’m just worried about His Highness," Uncle Gao said, extremely curious about Prince Han. "General, should I take a trip to Youzhou?" He wanted to meet Prince Han and see what kind of person he was and what his capabilities were.
Seeing Uncle Gao’s restlessness, He Lianfang said indifferently, "If you go to Youzhou, what about Japan?"
"Japan won’t be in chaos for now." For years, Uncle Gao hadn’t returned to the battlefield, but deep inside, he always longed to return. Youzhou was situated in the northern frontier, adjacent to the Xiongnu. He wanted to see for himself, and if he could kill a few Xiongnu, even better. "I’ll go to Youzhou to investigate, see if Prince Han has any collusion with the Xiongnu."
"You should just return to Japan." He Lianfang knew exactly what Uncle Gao was thinking. "Japan isn’t entirely under your control yet. Once you return, you need to take full control of Japan."
With a face full of disdain, Uncle Gao muttered, "Dealing with those Japanese is really boring."
"Japan is crucial to the Han Prince. You must help guard Japan well. If anything happens in Japan that ruins the Han Prince’s plans, I won’t let you off lightly."
He Lianfang’s stern tone frightened Uncle Gao. He quickly straightened up and said seriously, "Rest assured, General, I won’t ruin His Highness’s plans. I’ll train those short people well, make them willingly bee His Highness’s slaves."
He Lianfang nodded slightly and continued, "You can’t go to Youzhou."
Hearing this, Uncle Gao, puzzled, asked, "Why is that?"
"You’re my old subordinate. If Zhao Zheng finds out you went to Youzhou, what do you think will happen to you?"
"I’ll be captured, possibly even beheaded by the emperor." Uncle Gao said, then ran his hand across his neck. "But isn’t the General now working for His Highness? I’m also working for His Highness. Even if I go to Youzhou, the emperor won’t kill me, right?"
He Lianfang sneered, "You can try and see."
"Then I’d better not try." As His Highness said, trying might lead to death. He hadn’t lived enough, and he didn’t want to die now. Besides, the tasks His Highness assigned to him were still unfinished; he couldn’t just go courting death.
Finding Uncle Gao somewhat a nuisance in front of him, He Lianfang urged, "Didn’t the Han Prince assign you to assist in patrolling the city? Are you still going?"
"Then I’ll go." Uncle Gao, along with the Guard mander of the Han Prince Mansion, patrolled the Swamp Prefecture, responsible for maintaining the city’s security and preventing anyone from causing trouble during crowded times.
A curfew was enforced in Swamp Prefecture, and at the start of Hai Shi, no one was allowed to move freely in the city.
The curfew wasn’t Zhao Yao’s decision; it was a regulation of the Great Zhou. Every prefecture in Great Zhou, including the capital, enforced a curfew. Only on New Year’s Eve, the Lantern Festival, and the Qixi Festival was the curfew canceled.
Zhao Yao originally intended to lift the curfew in Swamp Prefecture, but upon reconsideration, he realized that just before the Dragon Boat Festival, many foreigners and inlanders would e to Swamp Prefecture, and lifting the curfew might lead to disturbances at night. For safety’s sake, the curfew continued. Once Swamp Prefecture became prosperous and stable, the curfew could be lifted later.
There was still two hours before Hai Shi, and it was the busiest time within Swamp Prefecture City.
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