Rahan’s older brother was back at the villa, as per Basen’s report from yesterday.
“Pheew, that was exhausting.”
Rahan’s older brother set his farming tools at the front of the temporary medical office. He had a lot of baggage like farming equipment and potatoes on him, so he used the storehouse at the back of the outbuilding.
“Looks like you had it rough.”
Since there were hardly any patients, Maomao came over to greet the exhausted Rahan’s older brother. The quack doctor, as if he had free time, came over too.
Tenyuu was taking an afternoon nap in the name of house-sitting. He probably wasn’t interested in the all too mediocre Rahan’s older brother.
“Thanks for your hard work. You’re sunburnt, aren’t you?”
The quack doctor spoke casually like he were his blood-related uncle. Looks like he was going to invite Rahan’s older brother over for snack time.
“Yah. It hardly rains here so the sun is intense. The summers might be awful.” Rahan’s older brother set a hoe against the wall. He was a hard worker even though he’d only just came back.
“Is that so. Is that so. You want cold juice? It’s chilled by special cold groundwater,” the quack asked.
(Isn’t cold water a high class item?)
Is it fine for him to just take it without asking for permission? Maomao thought. And then, without delay, Rahan’s older brother was invited to tea.
“I’ll take up on your offer…”
Rahan’s older brother stopped. No, it would be better say he froze.
What happened? Maomao tried poking him. Upon closer look, he was trembling.
“Ahyaaa! T-the Prince!” The quack doctor panicked.
Maomao turned around. Jinshi was standing there, smiling amidst a flurry of rose petals.
“May you be Rahan’s older brother?”
A damaged jewel was a jewel regardless. Glossy silky hair swaying, he approached Rahan’s older brother.
“Ye, yeee.”
Rahan’s older brother gave an inexplicable reply. He wasn’t in the condition to give a proper reply.
“My bad for the belated greetings even though we’d travelled together. By saying that I am the imperial brother, would you know who I am?”
Only a very small number of people like the emperor could call Jinshi by his real name. Thus, Jinshi cannot utter his name when introducing himself. It was a consideration, where, in the case he were to carelessly reveal his name and the other party learns of it and ends up saying his real name, they could be punished on the grounds of lèse-majesté.
(It’s rough being royalty.)
Apparently he was typically called Prince of the Moon or Prince of the Night.
“I-It was my, h-honour, to t-travel, with you…”
(I wonder who it was who said he got deceived and brought along.)
Ordinarily, the ordinary Rahan’s older brother was nervous before Jinshi. By the way, the quack doctor was staring at Jinshi with sparkling eyes.
“I heard about all sorts of things from Rahan. That Rahan’s biological father is, again, like a person related to the Ra clan, talented in agriculture. And that his helper is the older brother who has agricultural knowledge and techniques that farmers everywhere do not have.”
(A farming expert.)
Rahan’s older brother had an extremely complicated expression. It seems he wasn’t happy even though he got praised. But ordinary people do not stand a chance against Jinshi’s sparkling aura.
In other words, he got swept away. Jinshi reigned supreme.
(Ah, I’ve seen this scene before.)
Maomao watched Jinshi, who attacked one-sidedly with sparkles as his weapon, and Rahan’s older brother, who was ordinary and thus couldn’t do anything.
“You do autumn ploughing to decrease insect damage. It’s my first time hearing it. I later had my subordinate investigate, which was when heard that in the past, it was something that rulers had assigned to the farmers. Unfortunately, it disappeared as fattening livestock due to pasturage had greater importance over the benefits of ploughing the soil in autumn. Politics is a difficult thing.”
“Y-yes.”
“Also, aside from potatoes, you are also well-versed in the cultivation of wheat. I had no idea that treading on wheat would make them grow more resilient. There are so many things I do not know. I want you to keep instructing me from now on.”
“N-no, don’t mention it.”
Rahan’s older brother’s face flickered between red and green. Moreover, the quack doctor was suffused in a fluffy atmosphere, enviously watching Rahan’s older brother who kept being talked to.
“And I’m sorry about it, but I wish to immediately give you instructions. Would that be fine?” Jinshi implored with a sorrowful look.
Rahan’s older brother blushed and the quack doctor was destroyed by the stray bullets.
(Uwaah.)
As dirty as always, Maomao thought as she devoted herself to being an onlooker. She went to put the farm tools Rahan’s older brother hadn’t finished clearing away against the wall.
“Yes. I-if it’s something I, no, my humble self can do.”
“Is that so!” Jinshi lit up with a brilliant smile and the quack doctor opened and closed his mouth like a carp on a chopping board. “Then, since we’re at it, shall I explain inside?”
Jinshi raised his right hand and snapped his fingers. Basen and Chue quickly came over. Basen had a large roll of paper in his hand.
(These two somehow get along.)
Jinshi strode into the medical office like he owned the place. Tenyuu, who had been taking a nap on the long table inside, got up with bleary eyes. Rihaku the bodyguard questioned Maomao with his eyes.
“What’s up?”
“Various things.” Maomao found it a pain to explain to Tenyuu.
“Hmmm.” Tenyuu watched, looking indifferent but interested.
The roll of paper Basen brought over was a map, which he spread it out on the table.
“This is the map of Isei Province,” Basen explained.
A zone of grassland, mountain, and desert. It was considerably plain compared to Kaou Province, but there was a road that cut through the centre–the trade route that linked east with west.
“There are places circled here and there, huh…” Tenyuu joined in with the conversation nonchalantly. The quack doctor started to prepare tea.
Basen made a blatant look of distaste.
(He’s too close.)
It was a distance unbecoming for royalty. It probably was a different matter when he was a eunuch, but would it be fine now? Maomao ended up feeling worried.
But now, she thought Jinshi was moving out of self-interest.
“Rahan’s older brother.”
“YES!”
(He’s fine with that name?)
Rahan’s older brother snapped his shoulders back.
“In truth, the sections circled here are farming districts. I want you to manage the autumn ploughing and potato cultivation as farming practice.” Jinshi displayed a face that could kill people.
“…Eh.”
Rahan’s older brother had only just returned from the farming village.
“As quickly as possible. Yes. I want you to set out tomorrow.”
At the blinding smile, Rahan’s older brother shut his eyes. He couldn’t refuse.
(…that’s how it is.)
Although I told him to use people who can be used, it was truly pitiful for the ones being used, Maomao thought. The map was awfully large.
“What is the distance from the western capital to the farthest village?” Chue asked, a little bored. It seems she was just accompanying today. Honestly, it was fine if she wasn’t here, but she probably wanted to escape from her raptor mother-in-law.
“Roughly a hundred ri (400km), probably.”
“A hundred ri….” The blood drained from Rahan’s older brother’s face.
“I want you to go to the nearest village first. Then the next one. If you’re not good at horse riding, I’ll prepare you a comfortable carriage.”
Jinshi assumed that Rahan’s older brother had been put to work.
“If possible, teach autumn ploughing to all the districts within two months. Potatoes will come after; start in that order.”
He had said farming practice, but the main goal was the locust plague countermeasure. They had no idea what was effective, so they had to do everything they could. And Jinshi was planning to use those who can be used all the way to the end.
Maomao felt sorry for Rahan’s older brother, but she’ll have him toil away as the precious scapegoat. What she could do was….
Maomao took medicine out of the cupboard and mixed it in honey. Then she diluted it with water and poured it into a glass jar. She presented it to Rahan’s older brother next to the tea the quack doctor served out.
“Here you go,” she said.
“What’s this?” Rahan’s older brother asked.
“A nutrition supplement. I’ll prepare an undiluted solution that will last for a long time, so drink it when you’re tired during your journey.”
“Are you presupposing that I’ll be doing manual labour!?”
“…can you refuse?”
“…do you think I can?”
Maomao had prepared the supplement, thinking, No, it’s impossible. She’ll also prepare a poultice for muscle pain too.
Rahan’s older brother, an ordinary person, cannot refuse a favour from Jinshi at such close range. Jinshi had also taken that into consideration.
(Dirty.)
He was ordinary, but among the ordinary, Rahan’s older brother was excellent.
“Will you do it?” Jinshi tilted his head lightly with a troubled smile.
Rahan’s older brother could only hang his head in dejection.
Tenyuu, as the outsider, was snickering away at another person’s misfortune.
(゜∀゜) Ahya
