This little garden wasn’t a place for discussing official business, nor was it a necessary path to some other place. Nan Ruohuai’s expression was inevitably a bit proud—what he wanted to show was that whatever the Empire possessed, Zheng did too, albeit a bit smaller.

Qianye understood these little notions, but there was no need to point it out. Small countries like Zheng would have no way to survive if they didn’t find a way to inflate their confidence.

This prince, the new king from today onward, had never left Zheng before. The furthest he had been away from the country was when Song Lun had kidnapped him. His limited experience was a mark of his origins.

Many people would be affected by their birth or experiences after adulthood, leaving little room for molding after the inherent mindset had been formed. It wasn’t something that could be turned around by resources or teachers. In short, Nan Ruohuai’s performance during this time wasn’t so bad, with all things considered.

Passing through the garden, they arrived at a secluded courtyard. Mountain, stream, a small pavilion—everything made for a proper resting place. The garden just now couldn’t fit a lot of people since it was packed with...