My Emperor Father Can Read Minds

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He An’s matter was settled, and Wei Yu turned to look at He Yong.

“Giving you one last chance, have you been embezzling?”

He asked very directly.

The chubby man was stunned for a moment by this question, then reacted and began to wail his grievances with a miserable face.

“Your Highness, please see clearly, how would a lowly one dare to embezzle the Prince’s property! I have neither deceived the master above nor bullied the tenants below. Managing the estate for so many years, I have risen early and retired late, thinking of the master’s interests every single day!”

His Highness remained unmoved and even changed the question, “Then why are you so plump, and able to afford brocade? Is the steward’s monthly pay that high?”

He Yong’s eyes widened sharply, “Your Highness, this lowly one is naturally fat!”

Realizing that this was the reason His Highness suspected him, the chubby man was aggrieved beyond words.

“This lowly one has always been prone to gaining weight; even if I don’t eat for a whole day, drinking water alone won’t make me lose weight, so how could this be from overeating!” Speaking of the clothes, the chubby man tugged at his own hem and looked at Wei Yu with a pitiful expression, “This lowly one serves as a steward on this estate, and though the monthly pay is only four taels, I also have a few acres of land, raise a few pigs, and run a small shop at home.”

So it wasn’t too much for a steward on a prince’s estate to dress decently, right?

Understanding He Yong’s implied meaning, Wei Yu fell silent.

So it turned out he just had an easy-to-gain-weight physique?

Fine then.

It was his mistake, and he reflected on it.

After two seconds of reflection, Wei Yu gave Steward He a gentle smile, instantly becoming polite and courteous.

“In that case, it was I who overthought, wronged Steward He. It was my fault, and I hope Steward He won’t take such a small matter to heart.”

Steward He panicked, “I wouldn’t dare, wouldn’t dare, Your Highness is too kind. It’s all this lowly one’s fault.”

“Hey now, don’t say that. If there’s a mistake, it’s a mistake. I admit mine. You shouldn’t belittle yourself either. I still count on you to continue shining and contributing on the estate.”

“This lowly one is ashamed, but deeply grateful for Your Highness’s trust! For Your Highness, this lowly one will definitely manage the estate well in the future!”

“That’s right. A steward should be just like you. I have high hopes for you, Steward He!”

“Ah, this lowly one thanks Your Highness for the praise… By the way, Your Highness hasn’t had a meal yet, right? This lowly one had the kitchen prepare it early on. Would you like to eat now?”

“Tsk, you’re truly thoughtful as a steward.”

The two, who inexplicably hit it off, chatted while walking farther away.

The pleasantries between adults were this fake.

Watching His Highness walk away, Yi Shisan, who still thought of himself as a child, turned silently to seek instructions from Fang Sheng.

“My lord, and them?”

Yi Shisan was referring to the group of little kids they had brought back.

His Highness was already gone, and Fang Sheng also needed to follow.

Fang Sheng glanced at Yi Shisan, “You brought them back, you take responsibility.”

Fang Sheng left, leaving Yi Shisan standing there with a constipated expression, staring at a bunch of kids.

At least His Highness should have given instructions before leaving!

He had no idea how to take care of children!

—

Since it was decided to stay at the estate for two days, then two days it must be. Wei Yu couldn’t waste the rest of his holiday.

Moreover, since he wanted to build a school on the estate, many areas had to be planned out, and he had to properly arrange things before leaving.

As for the children who had been taken in, Wei Yu didn’t let them return to the mountains but had them stay directly on the estate. He also sent people to the city to buy a lot of cloth and clothes.

These cloth and clothes would either be loaned to the children now or used later as rewards.

No matter how compassionate one was, it wasn’t good business to take a loss!

Wei Yu was kindly teaching the children the value of “worth,” to prevent raising them into freeloaders…

In the afternoon after nap time, on the field ridges, Wei Yu took Steward He along, pointed to a certain piece of land, and said to him, “After the autumn harvest, don’t plant anything there. Use it to build the school. Spacious, bright, and away from crowds—the reading atmosphere will surely be good.”

“Yes, yes, this humble one understands.”

He Yong nodded repeatedly, taking notes energetically.

Wei Yu turned around and pointed to another spot, “That spot, build a dining hall. Make it big—not just for the children who study, but for all workers on the estate to eat there too.”

He Yong’s eyes widened and his brows furrowed. After thinking for a moment, he still noted it down.

Wei Yu pointed again, “Over there, build dormitories. In the future, there surely won’t be just a few children at the school. We must build a larger dormitory for unified management…”

This time, He Yong fell silent.

He glanced at His Highness the Wise King and held back again and again before finally speaking bitterly, “Your Highness, if you build everything, the estate will soon have no farmland left!”

Two hundred acres—how could it be used up so easily.

Wei Yu said, “Don’t panic, don’t rush. If it’s really not enough, we’ll just buy a few more plots of land next door.”

As for who would pay for the land—well, it certainly wouldn’t be Wei Yu himself.

Of course, it would be paid by his father!

Was the school being built for himself? Were the talents cultivated for him? He was already being kind not asking the old man for a labor fee. Expect him to pay for the land too?

Dream on.

He Yong was reassured.

With His Highness saying so, he no longer worried about the estate running out of land, the tenants fleeing, and himself becoming a steward without a job.

But He Yong’s peace of mind didn’t last long. In the next moment, a bolt-from-the-blue piece of news came from Wei Yu’s mouth.

“By the way, from now on, the estate’s rent collection will be reduced to fifty percent.”

“Yes, this humble… what!”

The words came so lightly that He Yong almost instinctively agreed, but when he realized what it meant, he was shocked.

He immediately tried to stop him, “Your Highness, this must not be! If the tenant rent is reduced to fifty percent, it’ll cause chaos!”

“What chaos?” Wei Yu asked back.

“This…”

He Yong stammered and hesitated, finally saying, “Your Highness reduces the rent to fifty percent out of compassion for the people, unwilling to let them suffer. But traditionally, the rent has always been seventy percent. All the nobles in the capital collect at that rate. If you collect only fifty percent, I fear…”

“I fear that the surrounding tenants will rush over after hearing the news, or clamor for their landlords to lower the rent too, thus alarming the nobles behind them. Their interests would be harmed, and they might even impeach me, right?”

What He Yong dared not say, Wei Yu finished for him.

Wei Yu smiled, his face showing little concern, and asked, “Steward He, what is my status?”

He Yong’s eyes shifted slightly, “Naturally, you are His Highness the Wise King.”

“That’s right. I am a prince. All under heaven is the land of the king. The whole world belongs to my Royal Father. What’s wrong if I want to lower the rent for my own estate’s tenants? Is it wrong? They want to impeach me for lowering it by two-tenths? Let them come! See if they dare!”

Hearing His Highness the Wise King’s unrestrained and bold words, He Yong looked at his master’s back and felt a surge of fervent emotion.

That’s right!

His master was a prince! How could any random cat or dog dare to slander him!

His Highness the Wise King was kind and compassionate, broad-minded and gentle. What was wrong with lowering the rent by twenty percent for the sake of the people?

Anyone with objections must be corrupt!