Damn it, I'm in the garbage book I wrote

Chapter 895 My father is more than just a warrior
On the official road west of the city, an inconspicuous blue-canopied carriage was traveling at a leisurely pace, followed by only seven or eight guards who rode their horses as if on a spring outing.

The carriage curtain was rolled up, and Xia Lin and Li Zhi sat side by side inside the carriage, watching the scenery outside the window recede into the distance.

The closer you get to Kunming Lake, the stronger the atmosphere of spring plowing becomes. The fields along the road are neatly arranged, and many farmers are working in the fields, creating a busy scene from afar.

The waterwheels on both sides of the Gaoxing Canal creaked and turned, bringing the clear canal water into the fields, which looked quite beautiful in the sunlight.

"This new waterwheel is more than 30% more efficient than the old one. I heard that it was all built under the supervision of the Imperial Workshop according to the blueprints given by my father, and the farmers all say it works well."

Xia Lin squinted sleepily. It would be a real shame not to sleep in this awful weather, so he hummed lazily, "Farming is the foundation. If the foundation is solid, no matter what you do on top, it won't collapse."

The carriage stopped on the outskirts of the newly built industrial park. The once barren land was now bustling with activity. The framework of the tall brick and stone factory buildings had been erected, and craftsmen and soldiers moved about among them. The sounds of shouts, sawing wood, and tamping earth mingled together, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Xia Lin jumped off the carriage and, without needing anyone to lead the way, walked towards the largest greenhouse area with his hands behind his back. Li Zhi quickly followed, and the father and son stood side by side as they strode into the new greenhouse.

The glass roof of the greenhouse reflected the dazzling sunlight, and a warmth different from that outside could be felt as one approached. Several elderly farmers were busy inside with their villagers, and upon seeing Xia Lin and Li Zhi, they quickly put down their work and prepared to bow.

"You all go about your business, don't worry about us."

Xia Lin waved casually and bent down to go into a greenhouse.

Inside the greenhouse, the temperature was even higher, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of soil and manure—not a pleasant odor. However, the vegetable seedlings in the raised beds had already sprouted two tender green leaves, lush and verdant, showing promising growth.

Xia Lin squatted down, disregarding the filth, and directly rubbed the soil with his fingers, then carefully examined the color of the leaves.

"The humidity is okay, but the base fertilizer is still a bit thin." Without turning his head, he said to the head of the farm behind him, "Apply diluted manure water again, just like I told you before, don't be greedy for too much."

"Yes, yes, I've got it." The village head nodded repeatedly, a respectful smile on his face. "Commander Xia, you're truly an expert. The vegetables in this greenhouse are growing way faster than outside. The villagers all say it's some kind of divine magic."

"What kind of magical powers? It's just about figuring out the crops' temperament." Xia Lin stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and glanced at the entire greenhouse: "After this batch of vegetables is harvested, we'll plant cucumbers and eggplants and see how they turn out. We can't stop recording everything—temperature, watering, fertilization—we can't miss a single thing."

"Don't worry, His Highness the Crown Prince has given the instructions. I remember them every day and dare not be careless."

After leaving the greenhouse, Xia Lin took another look at the glass workshop that was under construction. The main structure of the workshop was complete, and the craftsmen were installing a huge furnace. Xia Lin walked around the furnace base twice and then looked at the refractory bricks piled up next to it.

“The furnace ventilation openings need to be enlarged by half an inch,” he said to the official in charge of the Ministry of Works, pointing to the blueprints. “Otherwise, the firepower will be insufficient, and the purity of the molten glass will be affected. The deadline is tight, but the quality cannot be compromised.”

The official hurriedly wrote it down.

Li Zhi followed behind his father, watching him sometimes discuss manure fermentation with an old farmer, and sometimes confirm the details of the blueprints with a craftsman. His words were simple, yet every sentence hit the nail on the head. The farmers and craftsmen looked at his father with eyes full of admiration, a respect that stemmed from genuine skill, completely different from the fear born of power in the imperial court.

"Dad, you know so much."

After leaving the industrial park, as the two walked along the ridges of the fields, Li Zhi couldn't help but sigh.

"You think I was born knowing this?" Xia Lin scoffed, then said calmly, "When I first took office in Fuliang County, it wasn't a county but a township, with only seven or eight hundred households and less than three thousand people in total. The land wasn't cultivated well, and nothing was produced. I walked out of the cesspool step by step."

He stopped and looked at the lush green wheat field before him, his voice lowering considerably: "Your mother had a hard time carrying the entire Li Tang dynasty. As for us, to be honest, I actually pinned my hopes on you and Xiao Shang, but he, like his father, is unreliable. Ultimately, I still have to rely on you or Chengqian for the future unification. So whether it's Tang or Wei, the army must be strong, and agriculture and industry must also flourish; neither can be lacking."

Li Zhi nodded silently, keeping his father's words in mind.
After strolling around for a while, it was already afternoon. Xia Lin and Li Zhi had lunch, and he, holding a cup of tea, instructed, "Go and call Cui Lin from the Cui family, and Pei Wan from the Pei family."

The eunuch obeyed and left. Li Zhi asked with some surprise, "Father, are we going to see them now?"

"Hmm." Xia Lin lay back on the bamboo chair with her legs crossed, closing her eyes to rest. "Before I leave, let me help you weigh things up. There are some things you shouldn't say, I should say them."

About an hour later, Cui Lin and Pei Wan, led by the Crown Prince's eunuch, entered the courtyard one after the other.

Both women had clearly dressed up carefully today. Cui Lin wore a primrose-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), looking radiant and beautiful, though her eyes betrayed a hint of unease. Pei Wan, on the other hand, wore an elegant moon-white blouse, pure and refined, with a gentle expression, but she clutched the hem of her dress tightly in her hands, revealing her inner nervousness.

They were all very uneasy about being summoned alone by Commander Xia, whom even their own elders feared.

But it's understandable; they were just girls in their early teens, facing this god of death alone, it was no wonder they were terrified.

"Greetings, Marshal Xia."

The two women curtsied, one with a clear, crisp voice and the other with a gentle, melodious one. Xia Lin didn't rise; he merely glanced at them, then casually pointed to the stone bench beside him: "Sit."

The two women sat down as instructed, their postures elegant, yet both somewhat reserved.

Xia Lin didn't beat around the bush and got straight to the point: "I called you here for no other reason than that the Crown Prince is about to go on a campaign. One of you had a brief affair with him, and the other almost became his concubine. There are some things I need to say to you before you leave."

The courtyard was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the bamboo leaves.

Cui Lin and Pei Wan held their breath. They had never seen anyone speak so directly before. If it were anyone else, they would have gotten angry at such rudeness, but now they waited pitifully, weakly, and helplessly for Xia Lin to continue.

Xia Lin's gaze first fell on Cui Lin, with a hint of questioning: "Cui family girl, I heard you almost hit an old man with your carriage in the West Market?"

Cui Lin's face paled instantly, and she instinctively tried to explain, "Commander Xia, it was that old man himself that day..."

"I didn't ask you if it was his fault," Xia Lin interrupted rudely, saying rather impatiently, "I'm just asking you, is that true or not?"

Cui Lin gently bit her lip, lowered her head, and whispered, "It was... but it wasn't intentional..."

"Whether it was intentional or not is not important." Xia Lin sat up, picked up the teapot on the stone table, poured himself a cup of water, and pushed a cup to the two girls as well. "What is important is that in that old man's eyes, your status as a Miss Cui is as high as the sky. Your carriage, your servants, even a glance from you could be a catastrophe for him. What you consider a small matter is a huge deal to him."

He took a sip of water and looked at Cui Lin: "What makes you think you can act so superior?"

Cui Lin was speechless when asked the question, and her cheeks flushed red.

"Just because your father is Cui Situ? Just because your Cui family has a history of hundreds of years?" Xia Lin sneered. "Girl, let me tell you, all these things are nothing in the eyes of truly powerful people. They can give you a life of luxury, but they can also make you lose everything in an instant. If you rely on them to bully others, one day you will have to pay them back with interest."

His tone turned cold: "The matter at Zhongnan Mountain was consensual, and I have no say in it. But if you think you can control the Crown Prince with this, or that you can do whatever you want because of this relationship, then you'd better give up that idea as soon as possible. My son is soft-hearted and sentimental, but I, as his father, am not. If I hear that you are using your status to oppress the people or acting in the name of the Crown Prince again, I have plenty of ways to deal with you, including your family, without anyone else having to lift a finger. You can go back and tell your family that I said so."

Cui Lin trembled with fright, her eyes instantly reddening, on the verge of tears, but she dared not cry out loud. She could only bite her lip tightly and nod forcefully.

Xia Lin stopped looking at her and turned to Pei Wan, who had remained silent.

“Pei family girl, you’re different from her.” Xia Lin’s tone softened a bit, but she was still direct: “You’re too pretentious, too concerned about your airs as a lady from a prominent family. You backed down at the Crown Prince’s Palace that time, thinking you were being polite and reserved, right?”

Pei Wan raised her head, a hint of grievance and sadness flashing in her eyes, and softly hummed in agreement.

“It’s good to be polite, but there’s a right time.” Xia Lin tapped the stone table with her finger. “That’s the Eastern Palace, he’s the Crown Prince! Do you think he’s like those other young masters from noble families you’ve met, someone you need to carefully flatter and guess your thoughts? If you back down, he might see it as distancing himself or rejection. There’s only one chance, and if you miss it, you miss it. He’s testing you, that’s true, but it’s also giving you a chance. Actually, I’m on your side in this matter. I don’t like this kind of dynamic, but you’re a daughter from a prestigious family, and your high-status life is something you’ve earned through dignity.”

Pei Wan's lips trembled, and she looked like she was about to cry out in a childish voice, her fingers still tightly twisting the sash.

“I know you feel wronged, that you feel pressured by your family, and that you haven’t done anything wrong.” Xia Lin looked at her. “But in this world, especially on the path you want to take, it’s not feasible to just follow the rules and wait for others to accommodate you. You have to fight for what you want and seize it yourself. Of course, fighting for it doesn’t mean you have to act recklessly like her.”

He pointed to Cui Lin, who was still crying beside him: "I'm telling you to use your brain, to see the situation clearly, and to know when to advance and when to retreat. The upbringing of your Pei family is your confidence, but it's also your shackle. If you use it well, it's an asset; if you use it poorly, it's a stumbling block."

After Xia Lin finished speaking, she lay back down on the bamboo chair.

"That's all I have to say. You two, one of you need to tone it down, and the other need to be bolder. Figure out what to do from now on. Go back now."

The two women stood up with mixed feelings, bowed, and took their leave. As they reached the courtyard gate, Xia Lin seemed to suddenly remember something and lazily added:
"By the way, the selection of a concubine hasn't been decided yet. You all still have a chance. But I don't judge people by their family background; I only judge whether you are worthy of my son and whether you can manage this household well. I hope his future will be smooth sailing."

Cui Lin and Pei Wan both paused, quickly exchanging a glance, but said nothing, only bowing to Xia Linying.

Watching them leave, Li Zhi emerged from behind the house, his expression quite complex.

"Father, aren't your words... a bit too harsh?"

"Severe?" Xia Lin snorted. "They won't wake up unless you hit them hard. These two girls aren't inherently bad, they're just spoiled by their families and the world, and they've become a bit arrogant. Giving them a good talking-to now is better than causing even bigger trouble later. Whether they can figure things out or not depends on their own fate."

He stood up and stretched: "Let's go, son, go back and get ready to work. Those bastards in Luzhou are still waiting for you to deal with them. In the next couple of days, think about which path you want to take, the benevolent path or the tyrannical path."

"Huh?" Li Zhi was taken aback. "Father, what do you mean?"

(End of this chapter)