I became a prince in a martial arts world.

"Weren't the Qishan bandits located within the Central Plains? How did they manage to penetrate deep into the Western Regions?" Wang Yu asked.

"The Qishan Mountains stretch for thousands of miles, extending into the Western Regions in the northwest and into the Central Plains in the east. To the north lies the Northwest Trade Route, and to the south, it borders Tibet and the Xingxiu Sea. Although the Qishan bandits mostly operate in the Central Plains, they are not unable to reach the Western Regions."

Lu Yunzhou said, "Last year, the Western Region bandits must have discovered the defensive loopholes in the Cheshi Kingdom. Fearing that they couldn't take it, they colluded with the Qishan bandits and pulled off a big heist."

Whether it was the Qishan bandits entrenched in the Qishan Mountains or the Western Region bandits who occupied the desert oases, although there were many skilled fighters among them, they were ultimately still江湖 (jianghu) forces. When it came to conquering cities and countries, they were still no match for well-trained regular armies.

Cheshi was not a small country in the Western Regions. Its soldiers defended the city, and it would never be breached unless a large enemy army attacked.

However, the Western Region bandits found a loophole and, together with the Qishan bandits, plundered all the goods of the merchant caravans stationed in the city, making a fortune.

"Of course, this is also beneficial to us," Lu Yunzhou said with a smile. "If the Black Qiang go west, the pressure on us will be less, and the Qishan bandits have only come down from a few outlying villages to plunder this year, so the losses of various caravans are not significant."

"What if the Black Qiang enter the Western Regions and disrupt the trade routes in the Northwest?" Wang Yu asked.

Lu Yunzhou thought Wang Yu was testing him, so he immediately said, "No matter who it is, as long as they occupy that area, they won't exploit it to the point of exhaustion. The Northwest Trade Route is a golden goose, and no one will completely destroy it."

The thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions amassed untold wealth by collecting taxes on their own. The bandits and raiders of Qishan also mostly lived comfortably, collecting tolls as they passed through. Only a minority of caravans were completely plundered; it was simply a matter of who was unlucky enough to be the one to suffer the consequences.

The risks were high, but the rewards were huge, so whether it was silk and tea that spread from the Central Plains to the West, or jewelry and spices that spread from the West to the Central Plains, they were all incredibly expensive.

Wang Yu nodded, then suddenly thought of a problem: "We are at the junction of Anxi Road and Hexi Road. Although there are several prefectures to the west, the land is vast and sparsely populated, and there is also the threat of the Qishan bandits on our side."

"Speaking of which, we should be in the most prosperous and safest place in the Central Plains, right?" Wang Yu said meaningfully.

Lu Yunzhou smiled. "That's right. All caravans entering and leaving the Central Plains have to pass through Longshan Prefecture or Fengming Prefecture, which are considered the most important trading posts. Otherwise, how could we support 50,000 soldiers, 3,000 cavalry, and a horse farm with 30,000 horses?"

Wang Yu, "..."

He then realized that he was actually a very wealthy man!

……

"What a load of rubbish!"

After seeing off Peng Hu, Lu Yunzhou, and Zhao Defang, placing Zhao Siqi under house arrest, and sending the Prince's Palace guards to take over the Xionglue Army outside the city, Zhao Rong reported to Wang Yu on the general situation of the Prince's Palace's properties.

Wang Yu then realized that although the Wang Mansion had many properties, including its own estates, shops, and workshops in addition to the taxes from the three prefectures, the number of soldiers and horses to feed was still astronomical.

The Prince's Mansion does have a considerable annual income, but in reality, it doesn't save much money.

It would be a lie to say he has no money, but it would also be a lie to say he has enormous wealth or a fortune.

"Alright, give all these things to the Princess."

A huge pile of files. Wang Yu felt dizzy just looking at the thickness. If it were the complete version of a peerless martial arts manual, that would be one thing, but what was the point of looking at a bunch of files?

So Wang Yu decisively got to the point, "Does the Prince's Mansion have any miraculous elixirs to increase martial arts skills and improve aptitude?"

Zhao Rong answered decisively, "No!"

Zhao Rong added, "We still have too shallow a foundation. We have only been in power for more than 30 years, and we do not have the ability of those large sects that have been around for many years to refine pills and make medicine. Otherwise, when my brother was injured, we would not have had to ask the court for the Hundred Spirits Rejuvenation Pill."

"What about the raw materials? Do you have century-old ginseng, thousand-year-old lingzhi, or fully formed he shou wu?" Wang Yu continued to ask.

Zhao Rong looked at Wang Yu, speechless. If it weren't for the unparalleled elegance and royal majesty that Wang Yu had just displayed, he would have almost made a sarcastic remark.

"The Prince's Mansion did not make any special acquisitions, but there are indeed two old ginseng roots in the Imperial Treasury, which should have medicinal effects of a hundred years. As for thousand-year-old Ganoderma lucidum and fully formed Polygonum multiflorum, those are not available," Zhao Rong said, shaking his head.

"Let me try one!" Wang Yu said immediately.

On his way back to the Prince of Zhenxi's mansion, he also made up some excuses to buy some medicinal herbs, brewed them into a health-preserving soup and drank it, but the tortoise shell had no effect at all.

Therefore, only highly nourishing and energy-rich foods can activate the effects of tortoise shell.

Although the century-old ginseng had not been refined into an elixir, its own energy was still present, and it should be able to elicit a reaction from the tortoise shell. Wang Yu was prepared to give it a try.

After all, there are two in the mansion. Even if we fail, there's still one left, right?

Zhao Rong was a little speechless and reminded him, "Ginseng can replenish qi and may increase your power a little, but the effect is negligible. It would be better for you to cultivate for a few more days, young master."

Wang Yu waved his hand, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Then Zhao Rong sent someone to the inner treasury to fetch an old ginseng root. He then saw Wang Yu put the ginseng root in his mouth and take a bite without even washing it.

Zhao Rong, "..."

Wild ginseng is unlike cultivated or forest-grown ginseng, which looks like a radish. Wild ginseng is not large in size, but its rootlets are particularly long.

As the top-ranking Chinese medicine with the best medicinal effects, most people can brew three bowls of medicine just by picking a single ginseng root.

As a result, Wang Yu finished the old ginseng in a few bites.

Zhao Rong stared wide-eyed, waiting to see Wang Yu's nose bleed.

Wang Yu didn't have a nosebleed. He just felt the tortoise shell in his sea of ​​consciousness flicker again. Apart from improving his aptitude, expanding his meridians, and consolidating his third level of internal strength as usual, Wang Yu did not continue to improve the Seven Forms of the Setting Sun. Instead, he used it to practice and master the lightness technique of "Swallow Carrying Spring".

The Prince of Zhenxi's Mansion does not have a dedicated lineage of light-body skills. Although Zhao Zheng's internal strength is profound and his light-body skills are not weak, they are certainly not as good as those of a master who specializes in this skill.

The "Swallow Carrying Spring" technique is quite powerful, utilizing the Shaoyang Gallbladder Meridian and the Jueyin Liver Meridian. With slight adjustments made based on the tortoise shell inscription, it is enough to further enhance Wang Yu's agility.

Wang Yu clicked his tongue. "It has a great reputation, but its medicinal power is actually not as good as Xiao Huan Dan. This shows that the medicinal materials in Xiao Huan Dan are even rarer than century-old ginseng. No wonder it can only be made into one batch a year."

"But it also proves that top-quality medicinal herbs are full of energy. If you don't have elixirs, simply collecting medicinal herbs is also an option."

Wang Yu thought for a moment and said to Zhao Rong, "When purchasing medicinal herbs from outside, we should look for those that have been around for a long time and have abundant medicinal properties, such as ginseng that is a hundred years old, lingzhi mushroom that is a thousand years old, or he shou wu that is ten thousand years old."

"Okay, I understand. You should hurry up and digest the effects of the medicine."

Zhao Rong grimaced, but considering that Wang Yu had wasted too much time, although it was a bit too eager for quick success, what he was taking was medicine, not poison. He would circulate his energy to digest the medicinal power. Although it would waste a lot, the benefits would ultimately outweigh the drawbacks.

……

In the following days, the Xionglue Army was reorganized, and Commandant Zhao Jingjun was promoted to general. He was also a member of the Zhao family, with strong martial arts skills and outstanding prestige, making him capable of leading the army.

Li Yunxiu officially took over the affairs of the Zhenxi Prince's Mansion and began to reorganize the government affairs of the three mansions and the general affairs of the Prince's Mansion.

However, within the Prince's residence, Qianqian's status was higher than Li Yunxiu's, because...

"Brother Yu is so amazing!"

In the back garden, Wang Yu practiced the Seven Forms of the Setting Sun. Qianqian stood to the side with two maids, clapping and cheering. She took a handkerchief from one of the maids and went forward to wipe Wang Yu's sweat.

Wang Yu didn't have this habit, so he just grabbed a handkerchief and wiped himself.

Qianqian smiled slightly and leaned closer. "Brother Yu, you've been working so hard these past few days practicing martial arts. You must be very tired, right?"

Wang Yu waved his hand, "We've only just begun."

As someone from the modern world where martial arts only exist in legends, being able to personally practice martial arts, circulate internal energy, leap across rooftops, and unleash three sword flowers with a single thrust—what more could one ask for?

Moreover, I have a cheat code that gives me a bright future. I just need to keep practicing to improve my proficiency. If I'm not willing to endure this little bit of hardship, then I've wasted my time traveling here.

Qianqian's eyes lit up, and she grabbed Wang Yu's hand and started shaking it, saying in a sweet voice, "Recently, a caravan has come from the west, and they say they've brought valuable Damascus steel scimitars and Persian carpets, as well as a rare thing called perfume, which is used exclusively by women. Brother Yu, come with me to take a look!"

She's beautiful and has a lovely voice; who can resist her?

You've been practicing diligently these past few days, so it's time for you to take a break.

"go!"

……

The next day, Wang Yu, Qianqian, Zhao Yingjie, and four guards from the Prince's Mansion went out together, with two more experts secretly protecting them.

Longshan Prefecture is the easternmost prefecture in Anxi Circuit, just outside the Central Plains. It is also the location of the Prince of Zhenxi's residence, and is guarded by 10,000 troops year-round, ensuring its safety. As a result, many people gather here, making it the most prosperous place in the Northwest region.

Whether it was a caravan traveling west from the Central Plains or a caravan coming from the Western Regions, they would all rest and recuperate in Longshan Prefecture. Sometimes, if the price was right, they would do business right there.

Central Plains caravans no longer need to risk their lives in the Western Regions, and Western Regions caravans no longer need to waste time redistributing their goods in the Central Plains.

Not to mention the large and small caravans that travel at irregular intervals, many merchant families from the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions and various parts of the Central Plains have permanent shops in Longshan Prefecture, supporting the prosperous commerce of Longshan Prefecture.

Following the layout of the capital, Longshan Prefecture also had two markets, East and West. The East Market traded luxury goods, art, and retail products, while the West Market traded fresh produce, livestock, and bulk commodities.

The East Market is clean and tidy, while the West Market is chaotic and noisy.

Wang Yu came to the East Market, of course.

"Tsk tsk, not bad at all!"

"Of course, it can't compare to the prosperity of the capital, but in the Northwest region, our Longshan Prefecture is a first-class place," Zhao Yingjie said with a smile. "The inns, taverns, teahouses, and brothels around the East and West Markets are also very prosperous."

Wang Yu's eyes lit up. "A brothel?"