Chapter 6: Division of Labor

After the meal, Zhao Bin, accompanied by Wang Wu and Ling'er, headed toward the main hall. Seeing Zhao Bin emerge, Chunxi hurried forward to greet him. "Your servant pays his respects to Your Highness."

"Rise," Zhao Bin asked. "Has anyone come by this morning?"

"Replying to Your Highness, Magistrate Lin came by with some men this morning. Upon hearing that Your Highness was still resting, he did not enter the manor. He mentioned that there were matters to attend to at the prefectural office and that he would return to pay his respects this afternoon," Chunxi reported.

"Very well, I understand. Go and summon Xing'er, Cui'er, and Commander Xiao; I have matters to discuss."

Before long, the group arrived at the hall one after another. After they had offered their respective salutes, Zhao Bin began: "Apart from Commander Xiao’s five hundred guards, you are the only ones who followed me from the capital to take up this fief. You are all people I trust deeply. From today on, we shall divide the duties within the manor. Xing'er, among the three of you, you are the eldest and are literate; you shall be responsible for managing the manor's accounts for now. Later, I will find a suitable accountant to assist you."

"As you command, Your Highness," Xing'er replied with a steady expression. In truth, since Zhao Bin had left the capital, all the funds had been under her care.

"How much silver remains in the accounts?" Zhao Bin asked.

"We brought roughly ten thousand taels from the capital. Along the journey, including yesterday's expenses, we are left with only about seven thousand taels. Fortunately, with the autumn harvest approaching, there will be some income," Xing'er answered calmly.

It was said that even a clean magistrate could amass a hundred thousand taels of silver in three years, yet here he was, a dignified Third Prince and the Prince of Yan, with a net worth of less than ten thousand. He was speechless. He would have to find a way to earn more; it seemed that no matter the circumstances, one must strive with all their might. Collecting his thoughts, Zhao Bin continued:

"Cui'er, you shall be responsible for the affairs of the inner courtyard. Later, have Chunxi go to the agency to hire a few more hands. And Chunxi, the Prince’s Manor still requires a steward; you shall manage the servants and the outer courtyard from now on."

Upon hearing this, Chunxi dropped to his knees with a thud, bowing his head repeatedly as if pounding garlic: "This servant thanks Your Highness! This servant thanks Your Highness! Even if I am ground to dust, I will not fail you!"

"That’s enough, stand up. I haven't finished yet. Remember what happened the night before we left the capital: those within the manor must have a clean background and be reliable. There can be no fence-sitters among us," Zhao Bin warned.

"This servant understands the gravity of the situation. Please rest assured, Your Highness," Chunxi replied solemnly.

"Furthermore, Commander Xiao, you and your five hundred brothers were originally the Emperor's Imperial Guards. It is a grievance to you all to have followed me to this bitter borderland," Zhao Bin said, looking at Xiao Chu with a serious expression.

Xiao Chu was startled by this; he quickly knelt on one knee, striking his chest with his hand: "Since this subordinate has accepted the Imperial mandate, I have sworn to protect Your Highness to the death. How could I dare speak of grievances?"

Zhao Bin stepped forward and helped Xiao Chu up with both hands: "If Commander Xiao does not fail me, I shall never fail you and your brothers."

After saying this, Zhao Bin turned and sat back in his chair.

"There are a few other things I need you to handle. First, conduct a covert investigation of the residents around the manor. I hope there are no hidden dangers. Second, inquire about the prices of the surrounding properties; we intend to purchase the houses encircling the manor. Some will be kept as barracks, and others for different purposes. Third, take my token and investigate the true situation of the city defense garrison, either openly or in secret. Yan City is our base of operations, and perimeter defense is our top priority. This frontier town has been breached by northern nomadic tribes several times in history, and I do not wish for such a thing to happen to us, ending in our demise."

"Your Highness, according to the court's regulations, internal administration belongs to our manor, but we have no authority over the military. Although the garrison cooperates with the local prefect, they are directly under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of War."

"Is that so? Does that mean I only have your five hundred guards at my disposal?" Zhao Bin asked.

"There are also some yamen runners at the prefectural office, about five hundred in total. These men are mainly responsible for maintaining order within the city and guarding the various offices," Xiao Chu replied.

"Since they are not under our jurisdiction, investigate them privately so we have a clear understanding of the situation."

"As you command," Xiao Chu replied with a resonant voice. Though they had been in the capital together before, Xiao Chu had had little contact with this Third Prince and did not know him well. But now, he felt an indescribable sense of respect for the Prince of Yan.

"Ling'er, you shall remain by my side from now on, helping me grind ink and giving me massages," Zhao Bin said, turning to Ling'er, who stood to the side, a subtle smile playing on his lips.

Ling'er replied happily: "Yes, Your Highness, I obey." She then asked with a puzzled look: "I know how to grind ink, but what is a massage?"

"I will teach you hand-in-hand later," Zhao Bin said, as if discussing a matter of great importance.

"Very well, let us settle these matters for now. In the future, if there are other..."

"Ahem..." Wang Wu, who was standing on the other side, gave a soft cough.

"In the future..."

"Ahem..." Before Zhao Bin could finish, Wang Wu coughed again.

"Damn it, what are you doing? Speak your mind if you have something to say!" Zhao Bin knew what Wang Wu wanted; he was wondering why everyone else had been given tasks while he had none.

"Your Highness, everyone else has been assigned duties, what am I to do?" Wang Wu asked, looking aggrieved.

"Commander Xiao, tell him what he should be doing." After saying this, Zhao Bin walked out of the hall, with Ling'er following closely behind.

"Brother Wu, you are the Prince’s personal bodyguard. You have only one duty: to protect His Highness at all times. Although the Prince did not state it explicitly, you are the most important person among us." After saying this, Xiao Chu gave Wang Wu a look that implied, *you understand now, don't you?*

"Oh!" Wang Wu’s expression suddenly cleared, as if he had realized the truth.