The Illusion of Prosperity

Luo Zhao forced herself to maintain a calm tone, even deliberately adding a trace of expected respect as she spoke: "Junior Preceptor Gu."

As these words left her lips, they carried both the alienation of having to comply with etiquette and a hard-to-conceal resistance.

Gu Chengyin looked sideways, clearly catching the fleeting humiliation and struggle in her eyes.

He remained impassive, merely nodding slightly in response to this new title.

Luo Zhao did not look at him. Her gaze stared straight ahead at the deep, quiet palace pathway as she continued asking in a deliberately steady voice:

"Did you and Imperial Father notice something?"

She paused before adding, "Regarding the Second Prince's memorial."

Luo Zhao ultimately could not hold back her question.

Although reason told her she must not rely on Gu Chengyin.

But just now in the warm pavilion, the seemingly ordinary yet subtly sharp conversation between Gu Chengyin and her Imperial Father...

And the profoundly meaningful instructions at the end, all left her feeling uneasy and confused.

She needed to know what kind of riddles these two insidious and calculating men were playing at.

"Your Highness, before I answer your question, I would like to ask one first."

"How do you view the Second Prince?"

Gu Chengyin threw the exact same question Emperor Luo had asked him in the warm pavilion right back at Luo Zhao.

"The Second Prince?"

Luo Zhao furrowed her brows, annoyance and contempt flashing through her phoenix eyes.

"He is not Imperial Father's biological son. His birth father was the former Commandery Prince of Luoshui, who died in battle and entrusted him to Imperial Father's care on his deathbed."

She paused, her tone carrying a natural aloofness. "We have never gotten along since childhood. No matter what I do, he always goes against it, wanting to suppress me in everything."

Luo Zhao's memories were unpleasant, and her tone grew colder. "Later, when Imperial Father ascended the throne and established me as the Crown Princess, to maintain royal dignity and console the descendants of meritorious subjects, he made him the Second Prince, allowing him to enjoy the honors of a prince. As for my impression of him..."

"It truly cannot be called good. As long as it can cause me trouble and oppose me, he will resort to any means without considering the consequences."

"He pesters endlessly in the imperial court, arbitrarily interferes in local affairs, and does not even hesitate to harm the innocent, wasting manpower and resources."

"It is not just me; both inside and outside the court, openly and secretly, the evaluations of him are quite low."

"He only has his current status because of the title of Second Prince and because Imperial Father remembers old affections."

This evaluation, though carrying Luo Zhao's personal emotions, also basically aligned with the outside world's general perception of Luo Yanchen.

An incompetent prince who was sensitive about his adopted status, acted extremely out of jealousy, possessed mediocre abilities, yet was enthusiastic about opposing the Crown Princess.

Gu Chengyin listened quietly, his face devoid of any expression.

This Luo Yanchen was even more insidious and better at disguising himself than he had expected.

To be able to shape an image of incompetence, mischief, and narrow-mindedness so deeply into people's hearts that even Luo Zhao, who had been hostile to him for years, firmly believed it.

After Luo Zhao finished speaking, Gu Chengyin finally opened his mouth, his tone carrying a sense of guidance:

"To be honest, Your Highness, I initially had the same thoughts as you."

His gaze grew distant, as if returning to the time he first entered the divine capital, which was just the day before yesterday.

"Especially when I saw the Second Prince personally take the field, disregarding his demeanor, insisting on impeaching you almost like a scoundrel throwing a tantrum."

"That stubborn and comical appearance, combined with those two disastrous policy proposals he later put forward."

Gu Chengyin shook his head and laughed self-deprecatingly.

"I made an empirical mistake, having a preconceived notion that this was just an incompetent prince with grand ambitions but meager talents, eager to show off but using the wrong methods."

"A small stumbling block on Your Highness's path to inheriting the great lineage. Perhaps a bit troublesome, but nothing to fear."

His tone shifted, becoming solemn. "If His Majesty had not intentionally guided me, I would not have discovered my mistake so quickly."

Luo Zhao was slightly taken aback. She turned her head to look at Gu Chengyin, doubt emerging in her phoenix eyes.

"When did Imperial Father give you a hint?"

She carefully recalled the details in the warm pavilion; Emperor Luo had not said anything special to Gu Chengyin.

Gu Chengyin softly pointed out the truth, "That memorial was His Majesty's hint."

"The memorial?"

Luo Zhao grew even more confused. Wasn't it just the Second Prince requesting to place the new policy's pilot zone in Shuishan City?

"His Majesty urgently summoned us into the palace," Gu Chengyin said slowly, his train of thought clear.

"On the surface, it seemed to be because of the farce in front of the Shangguan Manor, or the case of the Left Vice Minister's estate, or perhaps as a warning to Xiao Song."

"But I believe these were all just preludes, or rather, taking advantage of the situation."

"His Majesty's true purpose was to take this memorial regarding the pilot site selection that the Second Prince had just submitted,"

"And let you see it, as well as let me see it."

The more Gu Chengyin spoke, the tighter Luo Zhao's brows furrowed.

She felt the hidden meaning in his words, touching upon certain levels she had not deeply considered, but the specific logical chain was still somewhat blurry.

Gu Chengyin continued along his own line of thought.

As if he had already pierced through the fog of the future and seen the predetermined ending:

"Although I do not know when His Majesty will approve this memorial."

"But as long as the pilot programs for converting fields into mines and the zero-threshold cultivation methods officially settle in Shuishan City of Chuting Commandery,"

"You will see that the implementation of these two new policies in Shuishan City will go extremely smoothly."

"Mines will be established, cultivation methods will be popularized, and the commoners will gain new livelihoods and hope. The entire Shuishan City will present a thriving scene of all things flourishing."

"Tax revenues will increase, the public sentiment will be highly supportive, and everything will look incredibly beautiful. So beautiful... that it resembles a meticulously choreographed play."

Gu Chengyin looked at Luo Zhao, his eyes profound. "At that time, no matter who it is, even if Your Highness personally visits Shuishan City for an inspection, you will not be able to find any problems."

"Because this is a pilot program. It must succeed, and it inevitably will succeed."

"This is not because converting fields into mines is flawless, nor is it because the zero-threshold cultivation methods are miraculously peerless."

Hearing this, Luo Zhao was completely drawn in by Gu Chengyin's description.

She faintly grasped something and asked, "Then why is it?"

Gu Chengyin interrupted her and directly gave the answer:

"Because standing behind Shuishan City is not the Second Prince, nor the noble families, but Luodu."

"Luodu?"

Gu Chengyin nodded lightly. "Although it is currently unknown which families in Luodu are providing the funds, it is clear that the Shangguan family is not among them."

"However, no matter which family it is, it is actually the same. Those newly risen noble families with wealth rivaling the nation."

"Using real gold and silver to pile a small Shuishan City into a glamorous model city is not a difficult task."

"Subsidizing wages, purchasing ores at high prices when initial production is low, funding the construction of related roads and housing, and even giving away money just for practicing the zero-threshold cultivation methods, and so on."

"As long as the money is in place, creating an illusion of prosperity is a breeze."