Duan Jin moved so quickly that the young prince didn’t even have a chance to change his mind; he immediately pulled his money pouch from his bosom and placed it in the palm of his hand. 

Xiao Yunqing happily swapped with him.

In his mind, a pouch of gold and a pouch of copper coins were exactly on the same level—in fact, he could buy far more with this pouch of copper coins than he could with gold.

Duan Jin secretly weighed it in his hand—it felt substantial. He couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile, yet he also felt a pang of guilt, as if he’d tricked a child.

That guilt vanished in an instant—after all, it was the young prince who had offered the exchange; he hadn’t deliberately tricked him.

Armed with copper coins and small silver pieces, the young prince grew even more excited. He visited nearly every stall, leaving Gao Yuan trailing behind him, reduced to nothing more than a vegetable-carrying machine. Eventually, two of his secret guards had to step in to help lighten Gao Yuan’s load.

The young prince lingered at every stall, touching this and examining that, constantly asking, “Auntie, what kind of vegetable is this?”

“How do you cook this?”

The young master is handsome and adorable, with a sweet tongue and a generous spirit; every vendor enthusiastically introduced him to their wares.

“This is celery. Whether you blanch it and serve it cold or stir-fry it, it’s absolutely delicious!”

“Water spinach—wonder why it’s called that? Ha ha, come take a look, young master. See how hollow it is in the middle? Isn’t that fun? Alright, I’ll pack some for you too.”

“This bright yellow one is baby bok choy. Why is it called ‘baby bok choy’? That’s right—there is indeed a ‘big’ bok choy, but it’s not in season right now. Come back when it gets colder, and you’ll see it then.”

“This is Chinese toon. These buds were just picked from the tree today—they’re so fragrant when stir-fried!”

They wandered around and around until they finally ended up at Aunt Wang’s stall.

The young prince’s eyes lit up the moment he saw the little yellow chicks, which were even smaller and more delicate than the ones in the courtyard. He turned his head and whispered to Duan Jin, “I want one too.”

Duan Jin glanced at the young prince. His wet eyes held a barely perceptible plea, and he looked so well-behaved—as if he would give up the moment anyone nearby uttered a word of disapproval.

Duan Jin smiled gently. A strange feeling welled up inside him—the same feeling parents have when they see their child, mindful of the family’s poverty, gazing longingly at toys in a shop window. It was an inopportune moment, yet he couldn’t help but want to grant the boy’s every wish: “Alright, let’s buy it.”

Xiao Yunqing thought that Magistrate Duan was truly one of a kind; he never made any remarks about things being beneath his station or out of place. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he pointed to the chick with a tuft of red feathers on its head that had caught his eye and said to Aunt Wang, “I’ll take this one.”

“Oh my, young master, you certainly have an eye for quality! This is the prettiest one in the whole brood. Just look at that pattern—so glossy and sleek, just like you, handsome young master,” Aunt Wang gushed with enthusiasm.

If Liu Gonggong were here, he’d surely be shouting, “How dare you compare the Prince to a chick!” But Xiao Yunqing was delighted to hear this. After all, his eye for quality was second to none.

All the chicks here look exactly the same, but the one he’s picked out is truly one of a kind!

A tuft of little red feathers perched on its head, and it walked with such swagger, the little red feathers bobbing up and down! How adorable!

Xiao Yunqing reached into his robe. He liked what he said—he’d reward her with two gold leaves!

In the end, he pulled nothing out. Only then did he remember that he’d already swapped out his money pouch. He carried at most one pouch when he went out, and he had no extra to give to this sweet-talking auntie. He puffed out his cheeks in frustration and gave up.

Xiao Yunqing strolled home laden with bags and packages—though, of course, those were carried by his guards and secret agents. As for him, he had nothing but a little chick in his hands.

This stretch of road was a bit narrow. As Duan Jin looked around, pondering whether it would be better to widen the road or redesign the market area, he failed to notice that this section was particularly muddy. He slipped accidentally, and his brand-new cloth shoes were once again caked in mud.

Duan Jin looked down at his muddy feet. “Ugh.”

He looked up just in time to see the young prince, who was two steps ahead of him, about to step into the mud. “Your Highness!” 

“Huh?” Xiao Yunqing turned around, his foot landing squarely in the muddy water.

Xiao Yunqing froze: “……”

Duan Jin turned away, unable to bear the sight.

The thought that the young prince—raised in a sterile environment with delicate skin—had actually stepped in muddy water made Duan Jin’s head spin. Would the young prince fly into a rage?

To his surprise, Xiao Yunqing slowly looked down at his foot, paused for a moment, pulled his foot out with a look of disgust, and then, as if nothing had happened, continued walking.

Duan Jin：“……”

This young prince seemed a bit different from what he’d imagined.

Xiao Yunqing took a couple of steps, then turned back to Duan Jin and said, “Minister Duan.”

Duan Jin replied, “Your Highness?”

“Your roads here seem… a bit different from other places,” Xiao Yunqing said tactfully.

Duan Jin smiled. “Your Highness is quite right. Actually, this place started out as just a slightly larger patch of open ground where a few families sold their surplus vegetables. Later, more and more people began to gather here. The original open space became insufficient, so even the surrounding streets and alleys were taken over. Not only is it crowded and narrow, but it’s also long neglected. Whenever it rains, water pools up to people’s ankles, causing widespread complaints among the local residents. This area is particularly bad.”

As he listened, Xiao Yunqing furrowed his brow: “Then why hasn’t it been repaired?”

Duan Jin shook his head and sighed, “How could we possibly repair them? Just ensuring that the people of this county have enough to eat and wear is already a struggle. In fact, due to the county government’s poverty, we can’t even pay the constables’ salaries. Right now, we’re down to just two constables: Liu Cheng and Feng Xin.”

No wonder there wasn’t even a guard at the county office gate when he arrived. If a band of bandits were to show up unannounced, wouldn’t they be able to wipe out the entire county office in one fell swoop?

Xiao Yunqing stared at his shoes and said nothing.

He suddenly recalled his visits to other prefectural capitals, where officials would almost invariably take him to the busiest streets and the most expensive shops, showing him how the common people lived without want, feasting on sumptuous meals—all to showcase their achievements, hoping that when he returned to the capital, he would speak well of them before the emperor, thereby securing promotions and honors for themselves.

But Magistrate Duan was different; he didn’t deliberately take him to the finest places—though this area was poor, he had seen several grand streets on his way here, and Duan Jin could easily have taken him there to appease him and show off his achievements.

Instead, he’d brought him to this bustling vegetable market—cramped, noisy, and muddy—which was practically the epitome of what not to do on an inspection tour. No matter where he’d traveled, he’d never met anyone quite like Duan Jin.

How strange.

Still, since His Imperial Highness had tasked him with this inspection, he was meant to see every corner of the world. Yet everywhere else, people had taken him to restaurants for lavish feasts, to mountain estates for sightseeing and leisure—and worse still, when they saw he wasn’t pleased, they resorted to petty tricks, even taking him to brothels and gambling dens!

Only here had he encountered the vibrant common folk and the lively pulse of daily life. Though these people’s food and clothing paled in comparison to those he’d seen on previous inspections, they possessed a unique charm—like a quilt warmed by the sun, offering a deep, satisfying breath of the very essence of life.

Xiao Yunqing had never witnessed the lives of the common people so vividly before, and he owed it all to this Magistrate Duan.

When they returned with their baskets brimming with food, sure enough, they heard Liu Gonggong’s panicked voice: “Your Highness!”

“Why are Your Highness’s shoes dirty?”

“Why is there another chicken??”

Xiao Yunqing covered his ears: “Liu Gonggong, I’m fine.”

When he saw Duan Jin walking by, something seemed to occur to him, and he said to Liu Gonggong with a hint of cheer, “Liu Gonggong, has dinner been prepared for tonight?” Liu Gonggong’s heart skipped a beat. Was the Prince about to dine right now?

This afternoon had been a complete mess. He knew Magistrate Duan was poor, but he never imagined he was this destitute!

Every single spot the young prince might notice needed to be spruced up. Since they wouldn’t be carrying all that stuff with them on their trip, they had to go to the shops in the county seat to buy everything.

What good could come of such last-minute purchases? Liu Gonggong found them utterly distasteful, yet he had no choice but to use them.

Consequently, he hadn’t yet found the time to have the prince’s meal prepared. “Not yet. Is Your Highness hungry? I’ll have someone prepare it immediately prepare it.”

“No need to send anyone. I have something right here.” Xiao Yunqing clapped his hands in delight. “Gao Yuan, come here.”

Liu Gonggong’s heart nearly stopped when he saw these filthy vegetables, still caked with dirt from the fields. “…Is the Prince suggesting…?”

“Exactly. Let’s cook today’s meal with these vegetables,” Xiao Yunqing said.

How could anyone possibly eat vegetables like this?!

Liu Gonggong was about to plead earnestly, “Your Highness…”

But Xiao Yunqing spoke firmly, “Liu Gonggong, I insist on eating these.”

Seeing the young prince’s rare look of delight, Liu Gonggong relented: “Yes.”

“Minister Duan, please join us as well,” Xiao Yunqing invited with a smile.

“In that case, I shall humbly accept your kind invitation.”

They had indeed traveled quite a distance these past two days, and Xiao Yunqing was feeling a bit tired. Since the meal would take a while to prepare, he decided to take a bath first, change into clean clothes, and then rest on the new couch Liu Gonggong had purchased.

At mealtime, Liu Gonggong looked at the table full of green vegetables with distaste, but to his surprise, the young prince kept piling his plate high. After finishing half a bowl, I actually asked for more.

Eunuch Liu Gonggong was overjoyed. He no longer cared how green the food was; pushing aside the attendant eunuchs, he insisted on serving the young prince himself. Xiao Yunqing looked at the rice Duan Jin was eating with some curiosity. “What is Minister Duan eating? Why is the color different from mine?”

Duan Jin smiled and replied, “Your Highness, this is brown rice.”

Xiao Yunqing asked, “What is brown rice?”

“It is actually the same grain as the white rice Your Highness eats, but the processing method is different. Ordinary peasant families simply process it themselves.”

“Once you remove the husk, you’re left with brown rice. If it’s the kind the prince eats, I wouldn’t be able to make it myself. I’d have to sell it to rice merchants and then buy back the processed round-grained rice from them at several times the price. That’s why most commoners are reluctant to trade dozens of pounds of brown rice—which can fill their bellies—for round-grained rice. But brown rice is actually very nutritious; it’s just a bit coarse and hard to swallow.”

Xiao Yunqing looked at him with curiosity. He had eaten only snow-white polished rice since childhood and had never seen this kind of rice before. Besides, how coarse could it really be? “Is there any more brown rice? Could I have a bowl?”