Royal Gold Medal County Magistrate

Indeed, not listening to good advice leads to great losses.

However, now that things have come to this, there's no need to hide Chi Lie any longer.

Fortunately, Chi Lie doesn't understand what others are saying. If he did, he might go on a killing spree and cause trouble.

Paba felt a pang of regret.

He sighed softly and looked ahead, then froze.

His eyes still fell upon the flat, smooth stone road, but turning back, he saw a stretch of dirt road.

The division was so clear!

Moreover, both roads were teeming with people, though many detoured around him.

Still, he could see the prosperity of the street scene.

At that moment, Chi Lie and Lufa had dismounted and walked to Fang Zheng and Paba's side.

Chi Lie was also curiously surveying the surroundings.

Paba exclaimed in praise, "As expected of the market managed by your esteemed country's Crown Prince, truly extraordinary!"

"This kind of renovation must be expensive. How much silver did the court allocate?"

"Not a single coin!"

"What!" Paba exclaimed in shock!

He had seen other markets on his way here, and while he thought they were good, they were nowhere near as stunning as Banshan Market.

Such a shocking transformation, personally overseen by the Crown Prince, and the Emperor didn't give the Crown Prince a single tael of silver?

Impossible!

Paba's expression turned serious. "I heard that your Crown Prince is not yet twenty years old, yet he possesses such talent? Master Fang, you're not joking, are you!"

Fang Zheng shrugged. "Master, you know me. I don't lie. The court and His Majesty absolutely didn't give the Crown Prince a single tael of silver. You can ask anyone, and they'll say the same!"

To some extent, Li Yuanzhao really put in a lot of effort.

About half the credit should go to him, and bringing Paba here was also a way to showcase national strength.

This should lower his psychological bottom line in subsequent negotiations with the court.

Anyway, a marriage alliance is out of the question, so consider this a side benefit.

As a mere Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, I consider this fulfilling my mission.

"Tsk! Speaking of the Banshan Market renovation... it only took half a year, or less than half a year, I can't quite remember," Fang Zheng added casually.

Paba immediately looked as if he had suffered a major blow.

The successive shocks had already thrown his mind into chaos.

He didn't doubt the Jing Emperor's civil and military achievements, but he didn't expect his son to be so outstanding as well.

What would Beirong be like in ten... a hundred years?

Is there a chance of winning if we go to war now?

Could this all be a staged illusion, and Fang Zheng is deliberately trying to deceive me?

Various thoughts flooded Paba's mind. Seeing his daze, Fang Zheng patted him.

"Master, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing... let's walk around first, walk around!"

Paba composed himself, suppressed the shock in his heart, and walked towards the market.

Fang Zheng hurried ahead, taking two steps at a time, and began to introduce the buildings on either side to him.

The more Paba looked, the more astonished he became.

The people here were full of vigor, and many of the shops on the street were clearly newly built.

Such a large-scale renovation, coupled with the people's accustomed state, couldn't possibly be a set-up to deceive him.

Besides, there was no need for that.

Chi Lie, however, remained calm. He was only surprised for a moment, and then seemed to lose any special interest in the street scene.

After walking for a while, a tea house appeared by the street. Fang Zheng led Paba and the others straight in.

As he walked, he said, "Master! My Great Jing's tea is unparalleled!"

"You should have had it at the Court of State Ceremonial! But the tea there isn't the real top-grade tea!"

"Here, there's the number one tea in the world, the Da Pin Tian Xian Tea. Today, I'll let you see it!"

Then, without further ado, he pulled Paba into the tea house.

The shopkeeper at the door brightened up when he saw Fang Zheng, then quickly lowered his head, pretending to be nonchalant.

Fang Zheng knocked on the counter: "Shopkeeper! Do you have the Da Pin Tian Xian Tea now? Bring it out and let me see. I'll take it all!"

The shopkeeper looked at Chi Lie, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes, and quickly turned to find the tea.

Taking advantage of this moment, Fang Zheng said to Paba, "Master! This Da Pin Tian Xian Tea is hard to come by! It usually sells for five hundred taels a catty! It's very precious! We're here today to try our luck."

Paba secretly clicked his tongue.

Five hundred taels a catty! So extravagant. Have prices in Great Jing risen to this level?

The tea at the Court of State Ceremonial does taste good, with a light and elegant fragrance, but how much better can it be?

"Thank you, Master Fang."

Before long, the shopkeeper brought over a delicate small porcelain jar and placed it on the counter.

He smiled apologetically at Fang Zheng: "I'm really sorry, esteemed guests!"

"Our Da Pin Tian Xian Tea is sold out. Please come again tomorrow!"

"However... since you're here, we can't let you leave empty-handed!"

"This jar contains our treasure, the Da Pin Tian Xian Tea."

"We can't sell it... but you can all smell it! So you can recognize fake goods on the market later!"

Fang Zheng looked angry: "Smell it? Are you playing with me? I'm treating my esteemed guest! How much is your tea? I want it. Name your price!"

The shopkeeper shook his head vigorously, picked up the tea jar, hugged it, and quickly took two steps back, saying anxiously: "No! No, I won't sell it for any price! Sir, please understand. Countless people come to me every day to buy Da Pin Tian Xian Tea."

"But my shop can only get a little stock each month. If those who ask every day can't even smell it, my shop will be smashed!"

Fang Zheng looked at Paba, his face full of embarrassment: "Master... you see, this... this is too embarrassing."

Paba shook his head.

Honest people are thin-skinned, I can understand.

"It's alright. Since this tea is so precious and hard to find, it's good to smell it."

As he said this, he stepped forward, and the shopkeeper quickly handed over the porcelain jar.

Paba took the porcelain jar and smelled it carefully.

While he was bowing his head, the shopkeeper quietly looked at Fang Zheng.

Seeing him wink, the shopkeeper immediately said: "This tea has extremely low production! It comes from the highest peak in the extreme south of my Great Jing, Tian Xian Peak."

"There are only a dozen or so tea trees still in existence, and they are listed as imperial tribute!"

"This tea gets better with age. People who have this tea in private are unwilling to easily sell it. They either drink it themselves or collect it, so there's less and less of it on the market!"

"So, don't even mention coming tomorrow. Even if you come again next month, it will be difficult to buy!"

The shopkeeper kept muttering, disrupting Paba's thoughts.

Paba took the tea jar and smelled it. In terms of aroma, he only found it unremarkable, even less fragrant than the tea at the Court of State Ceremonial, but hearing the shopkeeper's mysterious words, he couldn't help but pick up the tea jar again and smell it carefully...