Chapter 893 You've Been Promoted
Xi'an Prefecture, North Railway Station.
Zhu Cunji, the Prince of Qin's heir, stood beaming in front of the railway station.
His guards unfurled a long banner, emblazoned with large characters: "Warmly Celebrating the Full Opening of the West Yan Railway!"
It turned out that Zhu Cunji had poured immense wealth into constructing an exceptionally long railway line for over a year. Stretching from Xi'an in the south to Yan'an in the north, connecting two prefectural cities, traversing numerous counties, and crossing multiple rivers, the West Yan Railway, over five hundred *li* in length, was finally complete.
A radiant glow illuminated Zhu Cunji's face, a confidence he had never possessed since birth.
Though merely an heir and not yet a prince, he was already a full forty years old, practically "half-buried in the earth," yet he had never accomplished anything truly commendable, truly boast-worthy, or worthy of being etched into the annals of history.
He had always believed himself destined to be a prince who merely "ate and waited for death," never doing anything particularly endearing in this lifetime. Yet, unexpectedly, at this age, he had finally achieved a feat that could make him look down upon the world with pride.
Before, he had racked his brains, desperate to inherit the title, to ascend to the Prince of Qin's throne.
But now, it seemed, what good was that empty title of Prince of Qin? Aside from a mere designation, what purpose did it serve? Would it earn him the respect of the world?
Officials, both civil and military, still looked down on him. The common folk still cursed him behind his back. He was nothing.
But now, everything was different.
Zhu Cunji spread his arms wide, facing the enormous crowd gathered for the ceremony, and burst into boisterous laughter: "Hahahaha, hahahaha!"
His consort whispered, "Stop laughing. You sound like an idiot."
Zhu Cunji retorted, "Hahahaha, I will laugh! Hahahaha! Who would dare call me an idiot now?"
He laughed wildly for dozens of seconds, until a nearby guard quietly informed him, "Your Highness, the auspicious hour has arrived."
Only then did Zhu Cunji compose himself, declaring loudly, "I, the heir apparent, hereby announce the official opening of the West Yan Railway!"
Two enormous firecrackers were ignited...
A deluge of colorful paper rained down from the heavens, covering everything. It turned out he had paid handsomely to rent Gao Family Village's hot air balloons, which hovered above the station, scattering paper flowers precisely at the auspicious moment.
White doves soared into the sky, flapping their wings, weaving through the shimmering cascade of paper flowers.
Zhu Cunji stood with arms outstretched amidst the swirling shower of paper flowers, listening to the cheers from below the platform.
"The Heir!"
"The Heir!"
Numerous common folk cheered enthusiastically...
And these were the very people who used to revile him!
Zhu Cunji's sense of pride swelled to its peak in an instant. Indeed, being respected warmed the heart far more than being scorned.
A guard suddenly pointed towards Xi'an city and shouted, "Your Highness, look! Look!"
Zhu Cunji frowned, "What's all the fuss about?"
The guard exclaimed, "Look... the colossal golden Heavenly Lord statue..."
Zhu Cunji quickly turned his gaze. Inside the newly constructed "Heavenly Lord Daoist Sect Grotto" in the city, where a golden Heavenly Lord statue, tall as a seven-story pagoda, was enshrined, it was actually waving towards the North Railway Station! Clearly, it was congratulating them on the West Yan Railway's grand opening.
"Wow!"
The common folk present became even more excited, "Even the colossal Heavenly Lord statue has bestowed its blessing!"
Zhu Cunji swiftly bowed to the golden Heavenly Lord statue, then grabbed a metal megaphone with a flourish and belted out at the top of his lungs, "I feel like my life has reached its absolute peak!"
The onlookers collectively groaned, "Aargh, stop singing! My ears! My ears!"
"Woo!"
The 'Cunji,' which had grown restless waiting in the station, let out a whistle. The train doors swung open, the ticket gates followed, and boarding commenced.
Those who had already purchased tickets immediately surged forward.
"We're off to Yan'an!"
"I hear the New Village Bookstore in Yan'an is incredibly high-end, grand, and stylish. I've been wanting to see it for ages!"
"It used to be such a hassle to get to Yan'an, but now it's simple! Hahahaha!"
As the common folk streamed into the passenger cars, the two freight carriages attached to the rear of the train were being loaded.
The cargo being loaded was no ordinary merchandise, but newly manufactured Light Armored Cars from the Chang'an Automobile Factory.
This batch of new armored vehicles would be transported by the 'Cunji' to Yan'an, delivered to the Cavalry Battalion, and then driven by the Cavalry Battalion's trained "armored cavalry" into the northern Shaanxi region.
Zhu Cunji gazed enviously at the armored vehicles, practically reaching out to them with his eyes. "I want them! I desperately want these cars!"
His consort tugged sharply at his sleeve. "You absolutely cannot have those things! Be careful, the Jinyiwei might report us, accusing our Prince of Qin's Residence of secretly hoarding strange weapons with intent to rebel."
Zhu Cunji whined, "But I want them! I want them! I don't care about the Jinyiwei!"
His consort sighed, "You're forty years old, acting like a child! Stop this nonsense. Do you think being accused of rebellion is a game? Disbanding your fief, stripping your title, and decapitation, that's what's involved!"
Zhu Cunji mused, "Well, if it's just the first two and not decapitation, I suppose I could handle that, hmph! Anyway, I have the grand railway to make me money. Whoever wants the Prince of Qin title can have it. I'd give up my fief, even the princely residence. I'd just rely on the great railway to earn my living, and without a noble title, I could drive the Kulinan all over the world! Hahahahaha! Oh, and I'd rent a hot air balloon to drift away, drift all the way to the ocean, and fish for giant kun!"
His consort broke into a cold sweat. She yearned to kick her good-for-nothing, pig-headed husband. "Don't be foolish! Our family holds the foremost fief in the realm. Rebellion for us would absolutely lead to decapitation. How else would they 'kill the chicken to scare the monkey' and keep all the other princes in check?"
Zhu Cunji stammered, "Well, that... uh..."
Alright, some dreams, it seemed, were just dreams after all.
Meanwhile, in Wenshui County.
Chen Yuanbo, the top graduate from Gao Family Village's first middle school class, sat in the county yamen's main hall, diligently handling official business. A group of his junior classmates, ostensibly acting as clerks but truly his disciples from Gao Family Village, assisted him in organizing documents.
Just then, a messenger rushed in from outside. "Sir Chen, good news! Wonderful news!"
"Oh?" Chen Yuanbo inquired with surprise. "Do tell."
The messenger announced, "Word from above states that Sir Chen's governance of Wenshui County has been exemplary, and his achievements outstanding! You've been promoted, from County Magistrate to Prefect!"
Chen Yuanbo blinked, "Huh?"
What the devil kind of good news was this?! His position as Wenshui County Magistrate was a task personally assigned by the Heavenly Lord. If the imperial court arbitrarily reassigned him, how could he continue to serve the Heavenly Lord's concerns?
Chen Yuanbo nearly leaped up to overturn his desk, urgently demanding, "Prefect of where?"
The messenger replied, "Daizhou!"
Chen Yuanbo exclaimed, "What? Where did you say?"
The messenger repeated, "Daizhou!"
The expression on Chen Yuanbo's face instantly shifted from exasperation to pure delight. "Daizhou is excellent! Hahaha, Daizhou is truly excellent!"
Daizhou was, in fact, Sun Chuanting's hometown. During the last Manchu invasion, the Daizhou Prefect had committed suicide by leaping from a building, leaving the position vacant for a long time, with no one willing to take it.
Thus, the high officials of the imperial court remembered Chen Yuanbo once more.
Specifically sending him to a place no one else wanted!
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