SBCEJM -Chapter 278 Amazing! The Princes Have Been Raised Like Monkeys, and New Gossip Is Blooming in the Melon Field!

This was… a living utopia.

A valley gently embraced by surrounding mountains.

What came into view was nothing like the imagined crude thatched huts.

Instead, rows upon rows of stilted wooden houses rose from the ground, arranged in staggered layers along the mountain slope. Their upturned eaves were both ancient and grand, blending seamlessly with the lush greenery that covered the mountains.

A clear stream wound its way in front of the village, its water murmuring softly.

Across the stream, several delicate wooden bridges connected both banks.

In the distance, massive waterwheels rumbled as they turned, powering mills and forging hammers—forming a unique industrial symphony within the valley.

Vegetable plots in the fields were a vibrant green, bean vines curling upward, purple eggplants hanging heavily from their stalks.

Terraced fields spread from the mountaintop down to the valley floor in neat, soothing layers.

Feng Zhaoxuan’s eyes lit up.

“Good grief! Did the Retired Emperor move an entire modern Miao and Dong ethnic village here?”

【Host, these buildings were crafted by a female carpenter descended from the Lu Ban lineage, whom the Retired Emperor ‘talked into’ coming here.】

【The stilt houses are moisture-proof, miasma-resistant, and even keep out snakes and insects. The space underneath can store tools or raise poultry—extremely efficient use of space!】

【In terms of infrastructure… if she lived in the modern world, she’d be at the level of a quasi-academician!】

Though Feng Zhaokai didn’t fully understand what “academician” meant, it didn’t stop his mind from shaking violently.

This wasn’t seclusion at all.

This was a fortress-like settlement, forcibly built deep in the mountains!

To avoid revealing themselves, Feng Zhaoxuan used two invisibility talismans, slapping one onto herself and one onto her brother. Their forms instantly faded.

They crossed a wooden bridge, stepping onto smooth, polished stone paths.

Feeling playful, Feng Zhaoxuan took off her shoes and socks and stepped barefoot onto the ground.

A cool sensation spread from the soles of her feet, making her squint in comfort.

Feng Zhaokai smiled lightly at the sight and followed her example, enjoying this rare ease.

Suddenly, he pointed at a row of stilted houses nearby, his voice filled with curiosity.

“Did you notice something?”

“Every household here has a fruit tree planted at their door!”

Feng Zhaoxuan looked up.

Indeed.

Myrtle, loquat, peach, pear…

All different, all lush and thriving.

Some even bore green, unripe fruit, full of vitality.

【Host, this is one of the Retired Emperor’s strict rules.】

The system explained promptly.

【He said every child in the village must have a tree-climbing, bird-nest-stealing childhood. Any household that doesn’t plant a tree gets fined!】

Feng Zhaokai’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.

Only that eccentric old emperor could come up with mandatory “childhood happiness.”

【Tsk, the Retired Emperor is just trying to make up for his own lost childhood.】

【Whatever he never experienced, he wants his grandchildren to experience it all.】

Feng Zhaoxuan thought inwardly.

【Trees at the doorstep—flowers in spring, fruit in autumn, and climbing for play.】

【One tree becomes the memory of an entire generation.】

She, too, had once had a golden citrus tree that held her entire childhood happiness in another life.

As they walked on, a sudden howling cry came from above their heads.

“Wooohoo—! Watch my ultimate light-body technique: walking on water!”

The voice was loud and full of energy, though slightly off-key.

They looked up.

A middle-aged man in coarse cloth clothing was hanging from a peach tree with astonishing agility, limbs flailing as he tried to swing himself from one tree to another three meters away.

The posture was heroic, the jump powerful.

The ending was tragic.

Crack!

The branch snapped.

Thud!

He landed face-first into the mud, performing a perfect “dog-eating-shit” landing.

A group of seven- or eight-year-old children nearby didn’t rush to help—instead, they clapped and laughed.

“Fourth Grandpa fell again!”

The man didn’t get angry. Instead, he grinned, spat out dirt, and stuck his tongue out at them.

“Misstep! Just a misstep! I’m going again!”

【Host, see that?】

【The one having the most fun is the Fourth Imperial Uncle, once known for his steadiness and propriety.】

【They’re currently undergoing daily ‘return-to-primordial-state training’ to rediscover the most primitive human happiness.】

【In plain terms: they’ve gone completely wild and can’t be stopped.】

Feng Zhaoxuan laughed so hard in her mind she nearly doubled over.

【Looks like the feng shui here really raises people well—turning proper princes into monkeys.】

“Cough…” Feng Zhaokai’s lips twitched. “Xuan’er… is this the daily life of the royal village men raising children?”

“Brother, calm down. This is just the beginning!”

The siblings, relying on their invisibility talismans, strolled freely through the village.

Before Feng Zhaokai could fully process the “royal monkeys,” commotion came from a pigsty ahead.

A twelve- or thirteen-year-old boy stood holding a small wooden stick, lecturing two massive wild boars weighing over 150 kilograms each.

“Sit!”

The two boars obediently sat down.

“Shake hands!”

One boar lifted its thick hoof obediently.

Feng Zhaokai’s eyes nearly popped out.

These are pigs?

They’re more obedient than the imperial guard hunting dogs in the capital!

【That’s the second son of the Thirteenth Imperial Uncle’s family.】

The system explained.

【His mother is a divine doctor currently conducting a ‘livestock medicinal research project’ on pigs.】

【These pigs are only slightly less intelligent than humans.】

Feng Zhaoxuan twitched.

【Your wording is getting way too exaggerated.】

【Host, figurative expression is necessary.】

【But according to system data, pigs rank in the top ten among mammals in intelligence, above cats and not far below dogs—they’ve just chosen an energy-saving lifestyle.】

Feng Zhaokai silently glanced at the two highly intelligent pigs and fell into deep self-doubt.

Since when did pigs become this competitive?

The grunt of the pigsty faded behind them, replaced by rhythmic hammering sounds.

Under an open-air shed, sparks flew.

A woman with a high ponytail swung a massive iron hammer. With every strike, the ground seemed to tremble.

Sweat soaked her hairline, outlining her powerful arms. The raw, wild beauty of strength made it impossible to look away.

Beside her, a man carefully handed her water and wiped her sweat, smiling ingratiatingly.

It was none other than the Ninth Imperial Uncle, once a celebrated talent of the capital, now reduced to the “man behind the iron workshop boss lady.”

【Oh-ho, so this is the woman who turned the Ninth Prince into a public embarrassment?】

Feng Zhaoxuan’s eyes sparkled.

【Those muscles… that power… absolutely incredible!】

Feng Zhaokai chuckled softly. The women here were all extraordinary in their own way.

They passed through a bamboo grove and climbed a hill of pine trees overlooking the entire village.

A group of teenagers sat scattered among the trees.

Boys shyly offered pine blossoms to the girls they liked.

Girls accepted them openly, returning wild fruits or inviting them to go fishing later.

The atmosphere was pure and beautiful.

【This is the royal village’s “mountain wandering” festival.】

【On the 1st and 15th of every month, unmarried youths can go into the mountains together. If they like each other, they can freely form relationships.】

【The Retired Emperor said arranged marriages are harmful—free love is the proper path.】

【Tsk tsk, his ideological enlightenment is at least 500 years ahead of this era.】

Feng Zhaoxuan sighed deeply.

Not far away under a large pine tree, a middle-aged couple was having a picnic.

The thin man, still faintly handsome from his youth, was lying on the ground.

Yes—lying flat on his stomach.

He carefully picked out every small stone among the pine needles, pressing the ground repeatedly to ensure it was soft enough.

Then he removed his outer robe and laid it down as a mat, flashing an ingratiating smile at the woman beside him.

“Qingqing, the ground is ready—please sit! Don’t let your noble… uh… jade butt get hurt.”

The woman, cold and beautiful, glanced at him indifferently before sitting down gracefully.

“I want mushroom soup.”

“Yes, ma’am! I’ll go pick them right away!”

He immediately grabbed a basket and dashed into the forest.

His back radiated eagerness to please.

【Host, this is the Thirteenth Prince—who single-handedly elevated the art of ‘soft rice eating’ to a philosophical level—and his divine doctor wife.】

Feng Zhaoxuan was stunned.

【Wow… this is kind of… humble, but also strangely sweet?】

The peaceful scenery felt almost dreamlike.

Feng Zhaoxuan had a thought and pulled two exquisite snack boxes and a pot of tea from her spatial apartment.

“Brother, let’s also have a mountaintop afternoon tea.”

But before she could even open the box completely—

From the other side of the mountain, a sharp commotion suddenly erupted, tearing through the serenity of the pine forest!