The warm winter sun outside the window shone down on the two people embracing, gilding the quiet, warm room with a light golden hue.

Xin Jiuwei leaned against Xiao Xun's firm and warm chest, her breath filled with the crisp scent of pine and cypress mixed with a faint fragrance of ink, and the steady, powerful heartbeat in her ears, one beat after another, like the most reassuring drumbeat in her heart.

Shen Zhiwei's sordid conspiracy was like a stone thrown into a deep pool; though it stirred up ripples, it ultimately sank into darkness and was easily smoothed out by Xiao Xun, this towering mountain.

And she, Xin Jiuwei, under this protection, was not merely a vine to cling to.

With her resilience and wisdom, she is quietly establishing herself in the turbulent capital, striving to spread her branches and leaves, and attempting to emit her own glimmer of light. In this war fought by women without gunpowder, she has already shown her prowess, proving that she is no ordinary person.

However, the skies over the capital are never truly calm.

The news of Princess Rongchang's ruthless methods and the disgrace and confinement of the talented Shen family woman spread like wildfire throughout the capital in a single day.

In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, gossip abounds. The Shen family's reputation is ruined; Shen Wei has fallen ill and is no longer seen, and their home is deserted. In contrast, Xin Jiuwei's fame is soaring.

"Have you heard? That young lady from the Xin family in Yingzhou is quite something! Shen Zhiwei's elaborate scheme was exposed on the spot, and she even brought out the patterns from the tribute items in the palace, allowing Her Highness the princess to catch her red-handed!"

"Indeed! Calm and composed in the face of danger, clear and organized—that demeanor is unlike someone from a small town! She's even more impressive than many noble ladies from the capital!"

"I heard that the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo and Princess Rongchang both speak highly of her! The Sixth Prince truly has excellent taste..."

"This Miss Xin, although she comes from a somewhat impoverished background, her character and intelligence are worthy of being the future princess consort!"

These discussions, some genuinely admiring, some subtly inquiring, and even tinged with envy, all carried the name Xin Jiuwei like an invisible wind. She had transformed from "the impoverished daughter who had climbed the social ladder by clinging to the Sixth Prince" into a paragon of "high moral character, exceptional intelligence, and fearlessness in the face of danger." Within the orphanage, the attitudes towards her underwent a subtle shift, a respect tinged with a barely perceptible awe. The Dowager Lady of Anguo even began involving her in more crucial decision-making discussions, clearly regarding her as a capable assistant.

Xin Jiuwei was not carried away by this. She knew that fame was a double-edged sword. The lesson of Shen Zhiwei was still fresh in her mind; the higher one was praised, the harder one might fall. She still went to the orphanage on time every day, meticulously handling the storeroom accounts and patiently caring for the children. However, in her expression, there was now a more refined composure and determination.

Xiao Xun noticed her changes, and his deep eyes showed even greater appreciation. That evening, after dealing with the mountain of military reports, he entered the warm pavilion and saw Xin Jiuwei hunched over under the lamp, her brows slightly furrowed, deep in thought as she stared at several open documents. The candlelight danced across her fair profile, outlining her focused and earnest features.

"What are you looking at?" Xiao Xun approached, his voice low.

Upon hearing this, Xin Jiuwei looked up, a hint of solemnity in her eyes, and handed over a report in her hand: "Your Highness, please take a look at this. It was sent by my father from Yingzhou by express courier."

Xiao Xun took the document, quickly scanned it, and his eyes instantly sharpened: "The spring floods have arrived early, and many sections of the river embankment are under emergency conditions?"

“Yes.” Xin Jiuwei pointed to another document, a partial report she had copied from a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Revenue through Lin Jingshu’s channels. “Father petitioned the court for urgent funding to repair the river embankment and resettle the displaced people. But the Ministry of Revenue’s reply… was vague, only saying that it would ‘conduct a detailed investigation’ and ‘allocate funds as appropriate.’ But the situation in Yingzhou cannot wait! Father mentioned in his letter that small groups of displaced people have begun to gather. If relief and repairs are not carried out in time, there is a risk of a popular uprising!”

Her voice was filled with urgency and worry. Having been reborn, she knew all too well what the neglect of water conservancy and the inadequacy of disaster relief meant for the people. Although Yingzhou had not suffered such a great calamity in her previous life, she had heard of the tragic scenes caused by natural disasters and man-made calamities in other places. Cannibalism, exchanging children to eat... those shocking words seemed to be right before her eyes.

Xiao Xun's face darkened. He knew the deep-seated problems in the court better than Xin Jiuwei. The Ministry of Revenue, in charge of money and grain, had always been a hotbed of power struggles among various factions. The spring flood relief funds were a lucrative prize coveted by countless people. The so-called "detailed inspection" and "discretionary allocation" were nothing but excuses for delays and embezzlement! He flipped through Xin Shouye's letter describing the disaster and the plight of the displaced people, his tone icy: "What a fine 'discretionary allocation'! Xue Mingyi, the Director of the Personnel Department, is an old acquaintance of the Second Prince. His father, Xue Chongyi, has served as the Vice Minister of Revenue for many years, deeply entrenched and habitually corrupt. This 'discretionary allocation' is probably only meant to ensure they've 'sucked' enough from their own pockets before they'll 'pay'!"

"Xue Mingyi?" Xin Jiuwei's heart skipped a beat; she remembered this name. When Shen Zhiwei made things difficult for her at the orphanage, there was a noblewoman who was attached to Shen Zhiwei, who seemed to be the Xue family's daughter. "Your Highness, is this matter related to the Shen family..." She keenly connected it to the Shen family, which had just been severely damaged.

"Although Shen Wei has claimed illness, he still has many disciples and old friends among the Qingliu faction. The Shen family has lost face due to Shen Zhiwei's affair. It's hard to guarantee that Xue Mingyi and others won't use this opportunity to create trouble for me and my supporters elsewhere. Yingzhou is under your father's jurisdiction; embezzling disaster relief funds not only enriches them but also attacks your father, indirectly weakening me—killing several birds with one stone." Xiao Xun's analysis was incisive, revealing the sinister intentions behind the court's infighting.

A chill mixed with anger surged through Xin Jiuwei's heart. She recalled the tragic state of the Xin family in her previous life, and Qi Huaiyu's greed and ruthlessness. But now, looking at the cold, hard numbers on the report that foreshadowed the suffering of countless people, she suddenly felt that Qi Huaiyu's personal vendetta of exploiting the extinct families seemed so insignificant and narrow-minded in the face of the deep-seated problems in the court and the hardships of the people that concerned the lives of millions!

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