In early June, as the weather gradually warmed up, the vendors in the capital city reduced the number of times they went out.

Due to the tight national treasury this year, the government has reduced the supply of ice to various departments, only providing ice during the hottest part of the afternoon.

Every department had cut spending, so by the time the money reached the bottom, there was no room left for personal gain. Accustomed to making easy money, they couldn't stand this kind of life.

But no one dared to bring this matter to the forefront. Since last year, the court has dealt with many corrupt officials, including many high-ranking officials of the third rank. This year, the issue of receiving salaries without working has also caused a great uproar.

The people, upon hearing this, naturally cheered. Although so many corrupt officials had died, their lives hadn't improved, but they were still unhappy about the existence of these corrupt officials.

For ordinary officials, the reduction in spending did not significantly change their lives.

Cao Zhi wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief. He was tall and strong, not fat, but muscular, and the sweat poured out like rain. He had gone through countless handkerchiefs; there was a large water stain on his back, the fabric of which hadn't dried since morning.

“I think your article is very well written. If it could be presented to the Emperor, it might allow you to achieve something great. However…” Cao Zhi paused for a moment. There were too many low-ranking officials like them, and the Emperor might not even remember them. So, no matter how good the article was, it was really not certain that the Emperor would see it.

"So, we still need someone to make an introduction."

Even if such a person existed, how to speak to the emperor would be a problem.

Shen Qingque's gaze fell on Xie Liwei, his eyes filled with anticipation. He knew that Xie Liwei was the teacher of a few words, and he admired his literary talent. If he could receive a few words of guidance from him, it would surely be extraordinary.

Xie Liwei read the entire article and said with satisfaction, "Very good!"

Shen Qingque's eyes brightened, and he stared intently at Xie Liwei, afraid that what he said was just to comfort him.

"Then I'll copy it into a document and submit it."

Xie Liwei said, "No rush. Let's prepare first. In a few days, the Ministry of Revenue will submit a memorial. Once the Ministry of Revenue has finalized the regulations, we can make further arrangements."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingque put away his article. He wasn't in a hurry to step forward. Since Xie Liwei said it would be better to wait a while, he would wait a bit longer.

"Brother Shen! Brother Shen!"

The three of them were huddled behind the bookshelf talking when a male voice broke the afternoon silence. The person who entered was in a hurry, as if in a great rush.

"Brother Shen, you really are here! I have something to discuss with you!" The man called Shen Qingque away.

"Brother Zhou, what is the matter?"

"Princess Da Chang is choosing a husband!" the man exclaimed excitedly.

Shen Qingque asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with us?"

“Brother Shen, you have a family now, so this has nothing to do with you!” The man rubbed his hands together, looking embarrassed, and said, “I would like to give it a try.”

Shen Qingque frowned slightly, but said nothing. Their small Hanlin Academy was also filled with many people with different ambitions.

For example, there's Cao Zhi, who's content with his lot, and Xie Liwei, who seems to have no desires. Of course, there are also those who want to climb the social ladder.

"Brother Zhou, what brings you here?"

"I know Brother Shen's articles are well-written, and I would like to ask Brother Shen to help me polish them..."

Offering writing services is common among scholars, but it's usually reserved for highly respected elders. Shen Qingque naturally wouldn't presume to accept this task.

If he succeeds, that would be good. But if the Grand Princess rejects his essay because of it, she might blame him for not putting in enough effort to polish it.

"Brother Zhou, my writing skills are really mediocre. Why don't you go and find Mr. Sun?"

Mr. Sun is an old scholar, always rigid. If he knew that he was trying to win the favor of the Grand Princess with his writings, he would surely give him a severe scolding.

He quickly waved his hand, "There's no need to trouble Mr. Sun. If Brother Shen is willing to help, that's enough."

"It's not that I'm unwilling to help, but I'm afraid of ruining Brother Zhou's plans."

Seeing that he had gone this far, the colleague surnamed Zhou did not press the matter further. However, after Shen Qingque left, he couldn't help but spit out a curse.

"You've already married a princess, why are you still putting on this aloof act!"

Cao Zhi and Xie Liwei, hiding behind the bookshelf, witnessed the entire scene. Cao Zhi kept wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, and only after everyone had left did he lick his lips.

"Sigh, I'm starting to regret taking the imperial examination."

Xie Liwei wanted to reach out and pat him on the shoulder, but the other man's upper body was basically soaked with sweat, so he withdrew his hand.

Cao Zhi might really be a black bear spirit, otherwise how could he sweat so much?

"Even if you don't take the imperial examination, you will still meet similar people."

Cao Zhi pursed his lips and then said, "You're right, but I still find it a little hard to accept."

The village where Cao Zhi grew up was a place of simple and honest folk. The villagers were polite and respectful, and they never blushed over trivial matters or schemed against each other out of jealousy.

Therefore, Cao Zhi found this two-faced behavior unacceptable.

Xie Liwei simply sighed and said, "You'll get used to it."

After finishing his shift that evening, Xie Liwei hurried to Yu Fang Zhai to buy some ice cream for Song Yaozhu. This shop had a special recipe for their ice cream that the Wangfu's cooks had been researching for days but hadn't been able to figure out. So if you wanted to taste that flavor, you had to buy it yourself.

Fortunately, by evening, ice was available to keep the ice cream warm, and Xie Liwei rode back on horseback without it melting.

Song Yaozhu ate to her heart's content. What pleased her was that Xie Liwei had put thought into this bowl of shaved ice. As a princess, she could buy anything she wanted, but only what Xie Liwei personally bought for her made her truly happy.

"Are Qingjie and Ruge well-behaved today?" Xie Liwei washed his hands and went to the inner room to check on the two children. Despite the hot weather, the two children were well-behaved and did not have trouble eating milk because of the heat.

"Get out of here. The wet nurse finally managed to coax both of them to sleep."

Song Yaozhu gave him a reproachful look. Originally, the Prince's mansion had already arranged for a wet nurse, and Madam Yin had also helped find one. This wet nurse, Zhao, was very sensible, and Song Yaozhu had been very well-behaved during her pregnancy, so she stayed with her.

However, the midwife that Granny Qin found had run away through a dog hole. The guards in the Prince's mansion saw this and reported it to Song Yaozhu, who told them to leave her alone.

She took the money but failed to deliver, and ran away feeling guilty. Her sugar daddy will come after her; there's no need for me to get involved.

"I just glanced at them, how could I possibly wake them up?" Xie Liwei pulled Song Yaozhu's hand and they returned to the main house from the side room. When Xie Liwei leaned against her, Song Yaozhu felt as if a stove was moving closer to her.

She couldn't stand it and reached out to push him.

"Stay away from me, it's terribly hot."

"Caiyin, add ice!" Xie Liwei shouted from outside the door.

Hearing the noise, the person outside came in a moment later and added ice to the room. After the servant left, Xie Liwei moved closer to her again.

Song Yaozhu felt that so many ice cubes did not cool her body down; on the contrary, she felt hotter and hotter.

"Sister." Xie Liwei reached out and grabbed Song Yaozhu's hand, his voice pitiful, "How long has it been since we shared a room?"