Chapter 695: If I Am the Emperor (1)
Inside Sun Never Sets, Pei Yuan and Long Yue were standing in front of a building that was under construction, looking at the workers busing to and fro. Now and then, Pei Yuan would go and help. On the other hand, Long Yue would stand on the side and see how normal people used their own hands to build their own homes.
Before he came to Sun Never Sets, Long Yue was a cla.s.sic prince that received the most orthodox royal education. He was familiar with history, both ancient and modern. He learned how the previous emperors of the Longxuan Empire managed their country, their officials, and balanced their power.
But this was his first time being in such close contact with the gra.s.s-roots of the Longxuan Empire. The people that he would not usually meet and the stories that he would not normally hear were right around him.
“State teacher, the people of Sun Never Sets are surprisingly not as barbaric as what my father has described. To me, they are as polite and as kind as they can.” After two months, gradually, Long Yue had grown fond of the common folk in Sun Never Sets. They would not fawn on him just because of his status, nor be obedient to me just because of his lineage. But they did care about him as a person.
Every night, after they finished their work, these people would gather together to rest and chat. From them, Long Yue heard many folklore and adventure trips the mercenaries had embarked on.
Slowly, Long Yue forgot about his ident.i.ty as a prince. He began to laugh and talk with the people here just like an average teenager. As for those ugly demons, they would carefully step away a bit when they were around him. They seemed to understand that this new guest had not yet accepted them completely.
But both the people and the demons never showed any ill will towards Long Yue and Pei Yuan.
The demons would move all kinds of materials across the corners of the city. In the beginning, Long Yue was fearful of them. Now, he had become used to their presence.
He even felt those silly demons were adorable.
“Barbaric? Civilians are never born barbaric. They are tolerant and are afraid of the monarch. Your highness, your teacher and His Majesty may not know about these common folk. Truth be told, they are simple and pure. They are content when they have food to eat and water to drink. They are not ambitious, nor sophisticated. They are busy every day, but they are happy.” Pei Yuan’s looks were filled with gentleness. Truthfully, he was not born into a n.o.ble family. He had achieved his current position bit by bit with his own strength. Compared to the rest of the royal members, Pei Yuan understood the public the best. He knew that the education that Long Yue received was lacking in that regard the most.
But the trip to Sun Never Sets gradually filled that gap.
About this, Pei Yuan did not know whether it was good or bad. Shen Yanxiao limited their freedom, but she had given Long Yue a golden opportunity for him to experience life with the general public in person. He was allowed to experience life with his future subjects.
All emperors of the past were heartless. Even today, the Emperor would ignore the existence and the opinions of the people when he made decisions. Pei Yuan had tried many times to persuade him to just even be a bit mindful of them. However, he had failed every time.
Inside, Pei Yuan was happy to see the change in Long Yue’s att.i.tude.
“But father always tells me that the civilians are inelegant, greedy, and lazy, and that they know no politeness. I once trusted my father’s words. But recently, I began to have some doubts. State Teacher Pei Yuan, tell me, are civilians of the Longxuan Empire as lovable as these in Sun Never Sets?” Long Yue was still underage. His mind could still be muddled sometimes.
“Yes.” Pei Yuan answered with a smile filled with confidence.