His Highness the Royal Prince???!!!
Everyone was shocked, had their ears deceived them?
His Highness the Royal Prince had actually come to their humble, remote village?
Did his noble feet not fear the pervasive sand and dust here?
Bai Sheng looked up and saw A Qiu standing on the carriage not far away, waving vigorously in her direction.
Three or four guards on horseback followed the carriage, each looking vigilant and imposing.
Why would the dramatic, arrogant prince suddenly appear at Hongshu Slope?
Bai Sheng had no time to ponder. She immediately, along with Lu Ye, led everyone from Hongshu Slope to meet him.
Everyone present widened their eyes in astonishment, their mouths forming "O" shapes that remained open for a long time.
The family from Hongshu Slope actually knew the Royal Prince! The Royal Prince who had been assigned to their border region by the Emperor two months ago!
In their lives, they rarely even saw the county magistrate. To think they had skipped so many ranks and now met someone with the surname "Royal." They wanted to see what a "Royal" from the capital looked like, and if he possessed any divine qualities.
The carriage stopped at the foot of the sandbank.
A Qiu jumped down from the carriage, lifted the curtain, and a tall, thin young man in blue clothes emerged first.
This couldn't be the Royal Prince, could it? He looked like he hadn't eaten enough.
Everyone in Hongshu Slope recognized him; this was Tutor Ji, who taught them to read. So Tutor Ji knew the Royal Prince too?
Tutor Ji glanced at Bai Sheng, Lu Ye, and the people of Hongshu Slope, then nodded with a smile.
As expected, after the tall, thin man exited the carriage, another man with delicate skin and an overwhelmingly noble aura, a handsome young man, stooped and stepped out.
This person was clad in purple brocade, his black hair tied in a topknot with a jade hairpin. His features were exquisite, with a straight nose and red lips. A rich aristocratic aura emanated from him, so dignified that it dared not be looked at directly.
"Greetings, Royal Prince!"
Bai Sheng and Lu Ye immediately led everyone to kneel and pay their respects to the Royal Prince.
The people of Hongshu Slope were incredibly excited. Their mistress actually knew the Royal Prince, and the Royal Prince had personally come to their home. They were actually seeing the Royal Prince alive!
However, as Du Min and his wife and Granny Wu and her disciple saw the Royal Prince, a hint of coldness flickered in their eyes. The few of them quickly and tacitly resumed their normal expressions and joined the crowd in respectfully welcoming His Highness the Royal Prince.
"Little Black Face, is this your home?" The Royal Prince squinted his eyes, surveying the surroundings.
Little Black Face? The Royal Prince actually called their esteemed lady "Little Black Face" so affectionately? Wow, what a cute nickname. It seemed they had a very good relationship.
Bai Sheng smiled and replied, "Reporting to Your Highness, this place is called Hongshu Slope. It is indeed my husband's and my home. Your Highness's visit to our humble abode truly brings immense glory to our simple dwelling!"
The Royal Prince glanced at her and Lu Ye, then, as if they were old acquaintances, casually instructed, "This King has been driving the carriage for half the day and is quite weary. Little Black Face, hurry up and prepare a meal. This King will be staying at your home today."
"It is our utmost honor. Your Highness, please." Bai Sheng raised her hand, gesturing for the Royal Prince to enter the house.
As the Royal Prince took a step forward, about to enter, he suddenly noticed the hundreds of people standing around. "These people..." Could they have come specifically to welcome him? He had come quietly; how could they have known?
Bai Sheng then loudly and truthfully recounted to the Royal Prince how these people had repeatedly come to cause trouble at her home. During her explanation, she pointed out who was Zhang Jiawang and who was Clan Leader Zhang, causing the two of them to tremble in fear.
Upon hearing this, the Royal Prince's gaze swept across the hundreds of people opposite him, sharp as a blade.
Many of them were so terrified they wet themselves.
A Qiu shouted at those people, "Daring commoners! Do you not kneel before the Royal Prince?"
Everyone immediately shouted, "Greetings, Royal Prince," and knelt in unison.
The Royal Prince, with his hands behind his back, strode forward a few steps and declared loudly, "The well in Hongshu Slope is the private property of Miss Bai's family. From now on, anyone who dares to cause trouble again, this King will chop off their head!"
The villagers trembled in fear, no one daring to look up.
The villagers from Hongliu Village and Caomiao Village who had come to cause trouble regretted it to the core. In their hearts, they thoroughly cursed the village head who had misled them.
And their village head, in turn, cursed Zhang Jiawang and Clan Leader Zhang to the highest degree. If they hadn't been so persistently instigating and misleading, how would they have followed to cause such a ruckus? Now, they had stumbled upon the hardest of obstacles.
As for the villagers who had not participated in the disturbance, they were all filled with relief, grateful for their own wisdom in avoiding a catastrophe.
"Scram!" the Royal Prince commanded sternly.
The hundreds of people who had caused trouble immediately scrambled away in all directions. As Zhang Jiawang and Clan Leader Zhang ran, they were constantly tripped, falling several times.
They suspected someone had deliberately set traps for them, and their suspicion was soon confirmed as people began to openly shove them, even cursing "Go to hell!" as they pushed.
Clan Leader Zhang and his son were utterly humiliated. Upon returning home, their hair was dishevelled, and their clothes were torn in several places, making them look like refugees.
Those who had not participated in the disturbance stood there, not daring to move, feeling proud and honored at this moment.
Bai Sheng asked Du Min and Feng Pingyuan to register their names. They could come to work in a few days.
Old Madam Chen had wanted to stay and plead with Lu Ye, but seeing the Royal Prince looking as cold as a malevolent spirit, she immediately abandoned the idea and left with the eldest and third branches of her family.
At this moment, there was no one in Old Madam Chen's household who did not regret their actions.
If they had known that Lu Ye's family possessed such good fortune, why would they have contended with his family? Relying on their familial relationship, they could have enjoyed prosperity in the future. Wouldn't the well be available for their use?
The wives of the eldest and third branches resented Old Madam Chen. They felt that if she hadn't instigated and directed them over the years, they could all be living good lives alongside the second branch.
Old Madam Chen, however, blamed the wives of the eldest and third branches for constantly speaking ill of An Shi of the second branch to her. She had been angered and thus often disciplined the second branch.
As the family walked back, each with their own thoughts, someone suddenly called out the name "Lu Xing."
Everyone turned back and saw the female steward of Lu Ye's household, the one named Du something.
"Who is Lu Xing?" Du Min asked the crowd expressionlessly.
Lu Xing stepped forward, his face filled with confusion. "Big Sister, I, I am Lu Xing."
Du Min saw that he was a boy of about twelve or thirteen, looking quite honest and simple, and softened her tone. "Stay behind, I have something to tell you."
Lu Xing looked back at his parents and grandmother. He saw that they all had expressions of wild joy.
Xu Shi, of the eldest branch, quickly pushed Lu Xing towards Du Min, her smile irrepressible. "Go, go quickly! Your cousin and cousin-in-law must have something to tell you."
His grandmother also kept pushing him from behind, winking as she did so. "Go, be alert, don't be like a fool."
Lu Xing felt very embarrassed. He hadn't wanted to come today. Given how poorly their family had treated the second uncle and aunt's family in the past, he had no face to approach them again.
But his grandmother, mother, and third uncle and aunt had insisted on bringing him along. They said that he and Lu Ye's family had always had the best relationship, and perhaps if he went to ask Lu Ye, it might ease the relationship between the two families.