Purchasing the residences and having household soldiers move into the city with their families did not require Han Qian’s supervision. The next morning, he brought Zhao Kuo and Fan Dahei to the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence, accompanying Third Prince Yang Yuanpu in waiting respectfully outside the residence gates. Only when the sun rose above the treetops did they see a carriage swaying toward them.

The coachman lifted the carriage curtain. Shen Yang, though just over fifty but with beard and hair already frost-white, coughed while climbing laboriously down from the carriage, showing that his previous excuses in Wenying Hall were not lies.

With Shen Yang serving as lecturer at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence, he would henceforth be an imperial prince’s teacher. Han Qian, Feng Yi, Kong Xirong, and Li Chong and other reading companions all had to perform the teacher-acknowledgment ceremony together with Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.

Yesterday the residence had spent the whole day preparing a teacher-acknowledgment banquet.

But Shen Yang had no intention of accepting this courtesy. He cupped his hands toward Guo Rong and asked: “Lord Guo, where is this one’s lecturing quarters? The sacred mandate entrusted me, His Highness’s study and instruction are urgent. This one dares not slack off. Let’s dispense with empty formalities…”

Having said this, Shen Yang also had the old servant who doubled as coachman carry down a pile of books from the carriage as teaching materials and carry them directly into the residence.

Everyone exchanged glances. But considering that this old scoundrel Shen Yang even dared rebuff Emperor Tianyou’s face and was ultimately forced by Emperor Tianyou to reluctantly agree to serve as residence lecturer, they could only obediently follow Shen Yang’s side and walk into the study hall in the eastern courtyard.

Although Marquis of Linjiang Yang Yuanpu was shrouded in Empress Xu’s shadow within the palace and received no favor from Emperor Tianyou, as an imperial prince with the care of Consort Wang, at thirteen years old, he had no problem with the most basic reading and literacy.

Emperor Tianyou selecting Shen Yang to transmit lessons was truly to teach practical learning in classics, history, law, mathematics, and such.

Shen Yang clearly viewed the residence lecturer position as an unavoidable burden. Each day he reported for duty at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence in the morning. Apart from teaching Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and Han Qian and the others by rote according to the subjects personally designated by Emperor Tianyou, he did nothing extra and said nothing superfluous.

Even when Yang Yuanpu had questions, Shen Yang only required the Third Prince to “read the classics thoroughly and their meaning will reveal itself,” unwilling to waste more words on excessive explanations.

Shen Yang’s learning was broad and varied. He had dabbled in agricultural construction, legal official systems, taxation and tribute, mountain and sea commerce, and even military formations. His reputation as a renowned scholar in the current age was not undeserved.

Han Qian combined what Shen Yang taught with some knowledge possessed by Zhai Xinping from the dream realm, not only finding it easy to understand but even learning with great relish.

However, all this was too profound and abstruse for the thirteen-year-old Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.

Third Prince Yang Yuanpu initially studied these things with enthusiasm, but after persisting for over half a month, once the novelty wore off, he inevitably became restless and irritable.

The first day of the eleventh month was the Great Snow solar term, the beginning of midwinter. The north was already covered in snow. Even in Jinling City, common people in the streets and lanes were successively donning winter garments.

On the twenty-four solar terms and important festivals like Emperor Tianyou’s and Empress Xu’s birthdays, Han Qian and the others had “rest and bathing” holidays. However, as they accompanied the Marquis of Linjiang as reading companions, on this day the palace specially had rewards for them, so they arrived early at the Linjiang Marquis’s Residence to receive their rewards.

As residence lecturer, Shen Yang’s rewards were naturally much more substantial than Han Qian and the others. But Shen Yang was not very appreciative. On this day he did not appear in person. In the morning he sent his old servant to say he had caught a chill the previous night and was bedridden. The palace rewards could be hauled back by his old servant using that nearly falling-apart carriage.

“This old scoundrel!” Third Prince Yang Yuanpu darkened his face, staring at the carriage Shen Yang rode creaking into the distance. Standing before the residence gates, he cursed through gritted teeth.

Han Qian, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong pretended not to hear. Seeing their household soldiers load the rewards of silk, cotton, dried meat, and such onto carriages, they prepared to take their leave.

“Have your household soldiers transport the things back first. You all stay to accompany me in archery. It won’t be too late to return to your residences after the noon meal.” Having said this, Yang Yuanpu did not allow Han Qian, Feng Yi, and the others to refuse. He walked straight toward the rear garden archery field.

Arriving at the rear garden archery field, Yang Yuanpu said to Guard Battalion Adjutant Qian Wenxun who was on duty today: “You all go rest today. Don’t attend here. We’ll set up the archery targets ourselves!”

Knowing the Third Prince was in a bad mood, Qian Wenxun said nothing more and withdrew to the edge of the archery field with his men, but did not leave.

“You go set up the archery targets. Place them one hundred paces away!” Yang Yuanpu pointed at Feng Yi and Kong Xirong.

Feng Yi and Kong Xirong lazily ran off to set up the archery targets. Han Qian fetched a hunting bow and several iron arrows and handed them to Yang Yuanpu.

“Yesterday that old scoundrel Shen Yang lectured on the previous dynasty’s Director of Fiscal Affairs Liu Yan reforming grain transport. I saw you listening with great interest. Have you understood it in your heart?” Yang Yuanpu took the hunting bow and asked casually.

Han Qian slightly froze, not expecting Third Prince Yang Yuanpu to take the initiative to speak with him.

Today on the occasion of great palace rewards, Guo Rong had gone to the palace early in the morning. Song Xin usually did not leave the inner quarters. Qian Wenxun, Feng Yi, and Kong Xirong had just been sent aside. Here there were only the three of them—himself, Yang Yuanpu, and Li Chong.

Han Qian raised his head and glanced at Li Chong. He saw malicious intent in his eyes. Though extremely unwilling, he seemed unsurprised that Yang Yuanpu suddenly spoke to him.

Han Qian had been accompanying the Marquis of Linjiang as a reading companion for two months now. During this time, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s attitude toward him had been consistently cold. There were almost no occasions when they spoke alone, no different from his treatment of Feng Yi and Kong Xirong. Han Qian had thought Third Prince Yang Yuanpu did not know his true relationship with Wanhong Tower.

At this moment, Han Qian discovered he had truly underestimated Yang Yuanpu. He had not expected that Yang Yuanpu, who would not turn fourteen for another two months, had far deeper scheming than he had imagined.

“I will find opportunities to speak with you while avoiding Anning Palace’s spies. You need not worry that dog slaves like Guo Rong will target you.” Seeing Han Qian hesitate without speaking, Yang Yuanpu furrowed his brows.

“Li Chong should have told Your Highness that this humble subject is unlearned and incompetent. Your Highness’s question truly makes it difficult for this humble subject to answer.” Han Qian smiled faintly in response.

Standing to the side, the veins on Li Chong’s forehead twitched twice, but he ultimately restrained himself from saying anything.

Yang Yuanpu was made restless and irritable by Shen Yang. At this moment he had no patience to watch Han Qian give Li Chong trouble. He urged: “Do you understand or not?”

“As long as Your Highness does not consider this humble subject an unlearned and incompetent person, this humble subject will naturally explain everything to Your Highness in detail. As for the matter of the previous dynasty’s Director of Fiscal Affairs Liu Yan, one must begin with the abuses of the previous dynasty’s grain transport.”

Han Qian saw Feng Yi and Kong Xirong lazily setting up archery targets one hundred paces away. After brief consideration, he said:

“Since the end of the Han dynasty, Guanzhong has frequently suffered warfare and agriculture has been repeatedly devastated. Its prosperity is inferior to Luobian, even more so to Jianghuai. When the previous dynasty established its capital in Guanzhong, in the early years officials and palace attendants numbered no more than ten thousand. Levying grain from Guanzhong’s prefectures and counties plus transferring four to five hundred thousand shi of grain annually from Jianghuai was sufficient to provide official salaries and palace use. But by Emperor Wu’s reign, court officials and palace attendants had increased several-fold. Adding non-farming slaves and servants, grain produced in Guanzhong was already far insufficient. The court often had to move the capital to Luoyang to access grain, thus there came to be two capitals. At this time, large numbers of laborers and soldiers were conscripted annually. Grain transferred from Jianghuai had increased to one million seven to eight hundred thousand shi, yet still could not fill the deficit. Since Qin and Han, Jianghuai had grown increasingly prosperous. Never mind two to three million shi of grain—over ten million shi could be transferred. But grain transport was extravagantly expensive. Each shi of grain transported from Jianghuai to Guanzhong required transport costs of four to five thousand coins. Annually, grain transport alone required tens of billions of coins. Even at the peak of the previous dynasty’s national power, this was strenuous. By Emperor Xuanzong’s time, grain transport had to be reformed, thus Liu Yan was appointed Director of Fiscal Affairs…”

At this time Feng Yi and Kong Xirong finished setting up the archery targets and walked back. Han Qian handed the hunting bow to Third Prince Yang Yuanpu and stepped aside, waiting for him to shoot first.

Although Han Qian had not yet reached the crucial point, these few brief sentences had thoroughly explained the background.

Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s eyes staring at Han Qian shone brilliantly. When he inadvertently glanced at Li Chong, his brows could not help but furrow.

Han Qian smiled inwardly, thinking this bastard Li Chong had indeed spoken much ill of him before Third Prince Yang Yuanpu. But since Yang Yuanpu’s impression of him came entirely from Li Chong’s behind-the-scenes mischief, reversing it would be most convenient.

The corners of Li Chong’s mouth twitched, but he said nothing.

Explaining clearly the abuses before Liu Yan’s reform of grain transport in the previous dynasty did not mean much. Li Chong did not believe Han Qian’s belly contained any real talent. He guessed Han Qian had merely heard his father Han Daoxun mention this matter at the table and was now borrowing it to show off.

“In the previous dynasty’s grain transport, shipping departed from Guangling in the second month and entered Bian River from the Huai River after the fourth month. But at this time the water was shallow. Ships traveled slowly in Bian River and had to wait until the sixth or seventh month when water was plentiful before reaching the junction where Bian River met the Yellow River. But this time precisely coincided with the Yellow River’s high water period. The Yellow River rose higher than Bian River and required large sluice gates to separate the two rivers. Grain ships naturally could not pass. They had to wait until the ninth month when Yellow River waters receded before grain ships could enter the Yellow River from Bian River, transferring all the way to Luo River to reach Luoyang. From Luoyang to Shanzhou, though only three hundred li with Yellow River waterway connecting them, the Sanmen Gorge east of Shanzhou had swift water and dangerous rapids. Six or seven out of ten ships traveling there were either damaged or capsized. Grain transport ships sat deep in the water and dared not pass through dangerous rapids. Thus upon reaching Luoyang, they could only unload grain onto shore, use oxen, horses, and carts to transport it to Shanzhou, then reload ships there and transport via Tong River to Chang’an. By this time it was nearly year’s end. Grain transport seemed to be all waterway, but involved extremely many complications, consuming nearly an entire year from start to finish. Tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians, thousands of grain ships wasted on the journey for grain transport—this was abuse number one. Large numbers of grain ships accumulated and occupied waterways. Common people also could not benefit from the waterways—this was abuse number two. Court nobles lacked grain but had much money. Any surplus grain in Guanzhong was entirely purchased. Whenever floods or droughts occurred, common people had no stored grain to endure, leading readily to great disasters. In the capital region, civilian unrest frequently erupted, becoming a great affliction to the previous dynasty’s governance…”

In Han Qian’s view, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu was still too young. Emperor Tianyou had less than five years remaining before he would pass away. By common reasoning, there was simply not enough time for Third Prince Yang Yuanpu to mature, let alone time to establish prestige and build his own forces. But perhaps having been suppressed too long and too harshly by Anning Palace within the palace, Third Prince Yang Yuanpu’s diligence after leaving the palace for his residence was also extremely rare.

What surprised Han Qian even more was that Third Prince Yang Yuanpu could remain so composed regarding his affairs.

Han Qian thought that if he could help Third Prince Yang Yuanpu secure the opportunity to leave the capital and govern a region before Emperor Tianyou’s death, perhaps this was also a choice for changing his own fate.

“When Liu Yan served as Director of Fiscal Affairs, he saw that the biggest problem with slow grain transport was grain ships waiting too long at waterway junctions. He decided that while dredging rapids and waterways, he would build granaries at river junctions to receive grain, making every two granaries one route. Grain ships on each route would only be responsible for grain transfer between two granaries, eliminating wasted time. At the most dangerous Sanmen Gorge between Luoyang and Shanzhou, Liu Yan established two granaries at the gorge’s east and west ends. This way, the distance between east and west granaries was less than twenty li requiring land routes, while everything else could use waterways. After this method was implemented, during Emperor Xuanzong’s time, up to four million shi of grain could be transferred annually from Jianghuai to aid Guanzhong, while transport costs per shi of grain dropped below seven hundred coins—this was acclaimed as excellent governance.”