Reminded by this, Jiang Ling realized that she was still standing on the dock.

She nodded and smiled at Zhao Liuqing, saying, "Thank you for taking care of me during this time, Lord Zhao. We've been traveling for so long, and you need to rest too. I'll be waiting for your news at Zhishan's house!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Liuqing smiled slightly and nodded, "Alright, Gongren, see you later!"

With that, Zhao Liuqing led the group toward the imperial city, while she followed Jiang Zhishan toward home.

The children's chattering along the way made Jiang Ling feel the warmth of home once again. Although these children had undergone tremendous changes, Jiang Ling's appearance still brought out their most primal nature.

Jiang Wenxi, in particular, clung to Jiang Ling like a taffy, refusing to let go no matter what.

The group of people returned to Jiang Zhishan's house, chatting and laughing.

Ma and Jiang Zhitang returned to Jiangjia Village three months ago, during which time they almost lost their lives to give birth to a baby boy.

Perhaps it was the feng shui of Shengjing that nurtured her, but Old Mrs. Jiang appeared much more capable in Shengjing this year than she had in Jiangjia Village.

The whole family walked in from outside, chatting and laughing. Grandma Jiang glanced at Jiang Ling and said indifferently, "You're back?"

Although Jiang Ling didn't want to talk, she still nodded. "Yes, I'm back. I guess I'll have to go to the capital later! Mother, I'll go and get ready!"

He then led a large group of people back to his bedroom.

Jiang Ling was very grateful to see the bedroom that had already been arranged, and quickly took out gifts from the box and handed them over one by one.

Everyone was delighted to see the gifts. Before they could even exchange a few words, Jiang Ling heard someone outside the door shouting, "Zhao Liuqing, Lord Zhao has arrived!"

Jiang Zhishan hurriedly ran to the door to open it, and Jiang Ling also got up and went out.

"Lord Zhao!" Jiang Zhishan and Jiang Ling bowed together.

Zhao Liuqing walked to Jiang Ling's side and said, "Let's go, Lady Gong, His Majesty invites you!"

Jiang Ling nodded and followed Zhao Liuqing out the door.

Inside the carriage, Zhao Liuqing couldn't contain her excitement and kept talking to Jiang Ling about how the Emperor was very pleased to see the gifts and how satisfied he was with Jiang Ling.

Jiang Ling was not happy at all after hearing this. Instead, she began to worry. She hoped that this man who was above all others in the Great Hua Dynasty would not be so petty.

The carriage moved quickly, and soon arrived at the gate of the imperial city.

Getting off the vehicle and going to the Imperial Study – the entire process was completed in one go.

The Emperor seemed to have been waiting in the Imperial Study for a long time. After Jiang Ling and Zhao Liuqing bowed, they slowly stood up from the ground.

"Minister Zhao, you've had a long journey these past few days. Go back and rest. I'd like to have a good chat with Consort An!" The Emperor's slightly authoritative voice reached Jiang Ling's ears, and for her, this sounded alarm bells ringing in her heart.

After hearing this, Zhao Liuqing nodded and left the Imperial Study.

The Emperor's gaze fell on Jiang Ling, who felt as if she were carrying a huge mountain on her back.

She looked down at her toes, her mind racing as she tried to come up with a solution.

"I ask you..." Before the emperor could finish speaking, Jiang Ling suddenly knelt on the ground, her whole body trembling slightly.

"Get up and answer!" The Emperor was somewhat puzzled by Jiang Ling's sudden action, and his tone carried a hint of doubt.

"Yes!" Jiang Ling stood up shakily again, the pain in her knees making it almost impossible for her to control her facial expressions.

"Was the trip to Persia successful?" the Emperor inquired.

Jiang Ling's mind raced again. She didn't know what Zhao Liuqing had said to the Emperor, but she knew that lying to the most intelligent man in the Great Hua Dynasty would only lead to her death.

"Yes, everything went smoothly. The Persian king did not make things difficult for me and Lord Zhao because of the translation issues!" Jiang Ling replied.

"Hmm..." His Majesty gave a faint "hmm".

At this moment, the Imperial Study fell silent again. This silence almost drove Jiang Ling crazy. She clenched her fists, sweat pouring down her face. At this moment, she was like prey in the hands of a hunter.

"Hmm, I heard from Zhao Liuqing that the King of Persia seems to have a very good impression of you?" Just when Jiang Ling could barely hold on, the Emperor finally spoke again.

Jiang Ling didn't know whether Zhao Liuqing had told the Emperor about the temple, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "It's...it's alright, I just taught them how to use cotton!"

"Oh? Tell me more!"

Hearing this, Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief; Zhao Liuqing probably hadn't revealed anything about the temple.

“Your Majesty, when we arrived in Persia, we encountered a harsh winter. At that time, many of the people of Persia suffered from the cold because of the lack of warmth, and some weak people even froze to death on the streets. The Persian king was very surprised to see the cotton clothes we were wearing. After some questioning, I found out that although they produced a lot of cotton, they did not know how to use it. Most of the cotton was basically wasted. So I took the liberty of teaching them how to make cotton!” Jiang Ling explained.

"Oh? You're so kind! This skill is unique to our Great Hua Dynasty. Do you think it's appropriate to spread it around like this?" The Emperor's tone became sharper.

Jiang Ling was a little worried. If it weren't for her accidental discovery, even in the Great Hua Dynasty, cotton carding probably wouldn't have become widespread for several hundred years. Thinking of this, Jiang Ling grinned and boldly said, "Your Majesty, you are the wisest emperor of the Great Hua Dynasty. Persia has always respected our Great Hua Dynasty. Spreading the cotton carding technology will only benefit our Great Hua Dynasty!"

After listening to Jiang Ling's words, the Emperor frowned and asked again, "What does 'all benefits and no harm' mean?"

"Your Majesty, you may not know this, but after the knowledge of cotton carding is passed on, the people of Persia will be spared the suffering of freezing cold. They will naturally remember the goodness of our country, and the King of Persia will naturally be even more loyal to our country!" Jiang Ling explained.

"What? Do you think my mighty Hua Dynasty would be afraid of a tiny Persian country?" The Emperor's tone suddenly turned cold.

Jiang Ling immediately knelt on the ground, sweat dripping down her face. She gently kowtowed and forced herself to continue explaining, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. That's not what I meant. I just feel that our great nation is not afraid of these vassal states. But if there is any turmoil, it is the common people who will suffer. Your Majesty, you wouldn't want the people to live in misery, would you? You are a wise ruler, and I dare to guess that you also hope that the people can live in peace and happiness!"

Silence swept through the imperial study once again. Jiang Ling's clothes were almost soaked with cold sweat, and her whole body began to tremble slightly. At this moment, she felt as if an invisible hand was tightly gripping her neck, suffocating her.

But Jiang Ling could only kneel with her head down, like prey already aimed at by a hunting rifle, quietly waiting for the final result.