The capital of the Gaoli Kingdom. The crown prince's residence.

Jin Dongxing had been run ragged lately.

Kang Luo had taken three of the Gaoli Kingdom's cities, burning, killing and looting, picking the land clean, and the people there were in desperate straits.

Jin Dongxing had rushed from place to place and begged everyone he could, and at last he'd scraped together enough money and grain to barely keep the people of the three cities fed.

What he hadn't expected was that one of the cities would be hit by a blizzard. Thousands froze to death in a single night.

The money and grain he'd gathered clearly weren't enough anymore.

He had to raise more grain for relief, and fast. Otherwise, with the people short of food and clothing, there would certainly be riots.

Jin Dongxing rubbed his brow wearily, trying to think where he could find more money and grain.

Raising grain the first time, he'd already thrown away his dignity as heir apparent. He'd sweet-talked people everywhere, made promises everywhere, and run up a mountain of debt.

He hadn't paid off any of those debts yet. How could he expect those people to lend him more?

After thinking it over and over, Jin Dongxing decided to go to the palace and ask his old man for help... He hoped his father could rally the civil and military officials to raise money and grain to help the people.

He was just about to go out when a servant came to report that the Third Prince was asking to see him.

Jin Dongxing frowned slightly. He had never liked that fool who thought he was so clever.

Honestly, prince or not, if his mother's family hadn't been so powerful, a fool like the Third Prince would never have amounted to anything.

"Tell him I'm not in!"

Jin Dongxing's voice dripped with disgust. He really didn't want to see Jin Tiancheng.

If that fool hadn't been so pleased with his own cleverness, the Gaoli Kingdom would never have ended up in the state it was in now.

He'd worked hard to…