"Come on, family members." Xu Nian, dressed in a gorgeous and elaborate palace gown, strolled along the path in the Imperial Garden. "Today, I'm taking you on a day trip to the Imperial Palace and Imperial Garden. Please pay close attention, new family members."

[Are you feeling better, streamer? I haven't seen you for the past few days.]

[Nian Bao'er's outfit is so beautiful! I never knew that the clothes of ancient royalty were so gorgeous!]

[Latest fashion update! Finally, it's not those rough linen clothes from when we were fleeing famine!]

Am I the only one wondering why the Imperial Garden is so big?

In the live chat, as long as a topic is given, the fans can chat for a long time. Xu Nian got tired and casually found a pavilion to rest in. The people who had been ordered by the emperor to take care of her were also doing their duties by accompanying her.

Her health had actually improved considerably. When she shielded the emperor from the arrow, she deliberately flinched. The arrow struck her shoulder, but thanks to the excellent skills of the imperial physicians and the meticulous care of so many people, she had long since recovered to a considerable extent.

I can still feel a stinging sensation occasionally, but that's just because the wound is healing.

"Has General Gu not returned yet?" She looked around; she had clearly just been strolling around here with Gu Zhan.

Before the serving maid could speak, a cheerful voice came from afar, "Miss Xu and Gu Qing have such a good relationship. They've only been apart for a short while and they're already asking about each other."

Surrounded by a crowd, the emperor, dressed in a dark red robe embroidered with gold dragons and with his hair tied up in a jade crown, strode confidently toward Xu Nian.

Gu Zhan followed to his lower right, his expression tense, only relaxing slightly when he saw Xu Nian in the pavilion.

She awkwardly followed the crowd in performing a curtsy, then lifted her skirt and stepped out of the pavilion. "Your Majesty, look at what you're saying. Gu Zhan is the only person I know in this palace. Now that he's gone, I'm so bored."

Over the past few days, everyone has gotten used to her constant address of "I" and "me." As the emperor's savior, she naturally enjoys privileges that ordinary people cannot.

"Is Miss Xu fully recovered?" Emperor Jiang Mingyun asked with a smile. Seeing Xu Nian nod hurriedly, a look of understanding flashed in his eyes. "In that case, Minister Gu, issue the decree."

Proclaim an imperial edict? What edict?

Under Xu Nian's questioning gaze, Gu Zhan responded and then stepped out from the crowd, holding the bright yellow imperial edict, and stood in front of her.

Staggering, he was pulled to one knee by someone. The general, his figure straight in the sunlight, spoke in a clear, firm voice: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Xu Nian, a woman of chivalrous spirit and righteous courage, is a benevolent and compassionate servant of the people, helping the weak and oppressed! She is hereby granted the title of Princess of Fukang County, and is bestowed with one hundred acres of fertile land, one hundred taels of gold, one thousand taels of silver, and a mansion. So be it!"

Good heavens! I'm just speechless!

[Nian Bao'er, quickly thank the emperor! Don't just stand there! This emperor is quite something!]

Is this, is this really real?

Xu Nian was completely bewildered until a palace maid tugged at her clothes, bringing her back to her senses. "Thank you, Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy boundless blessings!"

With this imperial decree, she and Gu Zhan finally emerged from the golden cage-like palace, their steps unsteady.

Jiang Mingyun said her residence was in Liuyun Lane in the west of the city. Riding in Gu Zhan's carriage, the two arrived at the place, their carriage swaying gently. The house looked somewhat old, its construction date unknown.

Large numbers of workers are already going in and out of the mansion, and the plaque bestowed by the emperor will not be hung up until the entire mansion is fully renovated.

"Xu Nian, do you know who your neighbor is?" The girl's unusually dazed look was incredibly cute, and Gu Zhan couldn't resist teasing her.

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian turned around. This was the main gate of the mansion, and apart from the high walls, there was nothing else to be seen. "Who is it?"

That would be wonderful if it were next to the Prime Minister's residence of Wan Ting's family!

As if she were thinking of something, her bright and lively eyes made Gu Zhan slightly dazed. He reached out and took Xu Nian's wrist, leading her to the path on the right.

She walked straight for no more than two hundred meters, and a house even more magnificent than the county magistrate's mansion appeared before her, with a gatekeeper standing ramrod straight.

It always reminded Xu Nian of the soldiers on duty in her own world. Her gaze slowly moved upward, and the five powerful characters on the plaque came into view!

[The General of the Cavalry's Residence?]

Friends, I have a hunch. Let's make a bold guess: could this General Changsheng be our General Gu?

I agree.

+1

Gu Zhan's title, Su Wanting mentioned it was General of the Cavalry, wasn't it?

Xu Nian's mouth dropped open. The amount of information she'd received today was overwhelming; she was having trouble processing it. "Gu Zhan, this... this is your residence?"

General Gu nodded, gave him a look, and the gatekeeper understood and opened the main gate. "Come on, I'll show you around. After dinner, I'll take you home."

“Your residence is actually about the same size as this. If you feel bored on weekdays, you can have the craftsmen open a small door in the wall. Then you can come to my residence to play anytime without having to take such a long detour.”

Following Gu Zhan's footsteps, Xu Nian went from the outer courtyard to the inner palace, feeling that the entire route was already quite large, much larger than the five houses she had bought combined.

Indeed, no matter the era, the appearance of immense wealth and power is probably the same.

She was so engrossed in watching that she was completely unaware that her wrist was in someone's hand the whole time. The servants passing by kept their eyes straight ahead, and even those who did see her exchanged glances, their expressions full of amusement and curiosity.

"Why isn't there a single woman in your house?" Xu Nian wondered, observing the people coming and going. "Wasn't it said that the inner courtyard was where the maids and wives and concubines lived?"

Meeting the girl's curious gaze, Gu Zhan couldn't help but chuckle. He raised his hand and gently tapped her forehead. "I am not yet married, nor do I have any concubines. What would I need so many maids for? Apart from the wet nurse who raised me from childhood, the youngest woman in this courtyard is at least thirty-six. Only in this way can I avoid being criticized by others."

"That's true." The ancients had a frightening number of rules and regulations, so a young military officer like Gu Zhan, who was already a second-rank general, was naturally a piece of fat meat in everyone's eyes.

The slightest mistake could lead to an impeachment that reaches the emperor's ears, with a fabricated charge against him.

The renovation of the mansion will take about another month to complete. During this period, Xu Nian will still live in the small courtyard she bought when she first arrived in the capital.

After having dinner at Gu Zhan's house, the two of them rode back in a carriage, which swayed gently. Gu Zhan said, "Your carriage is really comfortable. I'll have to get one for myself sometime."

Having eaten and drunk her fill, she lay drowsily on the soft blanket. Suddenly, the carriage stopped, and a sharp, sarcastic voice rang out clearly: "I told you from the start that that girl was no pushover, and look how long it's been! She's already risen to a high position!"