We should still give Steward Li face.

When Manager Li came downstairs again, his back was soaked with sweat, and his forehead was also dripping with sweat, making him look rather disheveled.

He came over in a humble voice and reported, "His Majesty has ordered this servant to set up an inner office for the Empress."

Su Wanwan raised an eyebrow.

No wonder the overseas offices are being built with great enthusiasm, while the domestic offices have remained largely untouched.

It turns out they were waiting for Steward Li to take the lead.

Chief Steward Li had served Lu Xingjian closely for many years and was practically synonymous with imperial power.

With him in charge, even powerful eunuchs like Liu Jin, Zhang Yong, or Ma Yongcheng, if they had objections, couldn't openly oppose them.

Su Wanwan was naturally delighted with this.

He politely offered a few words of comfort and encouragement, telling him to go home and rest early, and to come back another day to report.

As Meng Yue saw Steward Li off, he asked, somewhat puzzled:

"Master, Miss Ma's sister has come to the capital. Why did the Emperor get so angry when he refused to see her?"

Manager Li's expression was ambiguous, and he glanced at the direction where Su Wanwan was doing her work with a complicated look in his eyes.

"Don't mention this matter in front of the Emperor or Empress again. Just pretend it never happened."

The biggest change after Li Rong returned was that Lu Xingjian became much busier, leaving early and returning late, sometimes not until midnight.

His body was clean, clearly indicating that he had taken a shower somewhere.

And I was extremely tired.

One night, he even started snoring loudly, waking Su Wanwan up.

She couldn't sleep, so she gave him a push.

Lu Xingjian opened his eyes groggily, saw that it was her, pulled her into his arms, and continued to sleep, snuggling close together.

"Honey, you're exhausted, get some more sleep."

Su Wanwan sniffed him but didn't smell any special fragrance.

His breath was right next to her ear, loud as thunder, but Su Wanwan felt much more relaxed than before.

He used to have too much energy and would pester her every night until midnight to play all sorts of fun little games, which was quite exhausting.

These days, I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow; I have absolutely no energy to bother with anything else.

The next day, He Ying reported: "Guard Xiao has been transferred to Ningxia Left Guard, to a substantive post, and he is still a deputy commander."

Su Wanwan was stunned.

Ningxia?!

Lu Xingjian transferred Xiao Bin so far away, clearly because he didn't want her to have another chance to see Xiao Bin, nor did he want Xiao Bin to get involved in Ma Ji's affairs.

Therefore, isn't this also a form of indirect protection for Maggie?

Was he afraid that she would instruct Xiao Bin to make things difficult for Maggie?

He Ying hesitated, then said, "Your Majesty, why don't we beg the Emperor not to assign Guard Xiao so far away? What's the difference between this and exile?"

After pondering for a long time, Su Wanwan simply shook her head.

"Let's leave it at that for now."

Her seeking out Lu Xingjian about Xiao Bin's matter will only lead to arguments and may even bring greater disaster to Xiao Bin.

We have no power and are subject to others; this is the current situation.

The most important thing now is to strengthen our own capabilities.

One day she will be able to say no.

Su Wanwan has been very busy these days.

After Li Rong returned, the establishment of the internal affairs factory progressed rapidly, and all kinds of talents were introduced one after another.

Su Wanwan was busy meeting people and also busy confirming the various regulations that Li Rong presented.

August arrived in the blink of an eye.

The Ministry of War submitted a memorial stating that since the first month of this year, the Xiongnu had been harassing Xuanfu and Datong, and our army had repeatedly defeated them.

Although the gains were meager, they were sufficient to break their momentum. This was due to the hard work of the soldiers, and the merit of the garrison commander's strategic planning cannot be denied.

We urge that all those who have worked hard be rewarded, so as to encourage them to continue working hard in the future.

Lu Xingjian issued an edict, bestowing great rewards upon them.

Vice Minister Wen Gui and the garrison commander and deputy commander-in-chief were each awarded two bolts of silk, two sheep, and ten bottles of wine. The lieutenant general, the garrison commander, the officials inside and outside the city, and the imperial inspector were each awarded half of the reward. The grain manager and the regional officials were each awarded one bolt of silk, and the officers and soldiers of the two garrisons were each awarded one bolt of cloth.

The gifts themselves are few, but the favor and honor bestowed upon them are truly precious.

The border troops in Datong and Xuanfu were reassured and at ease.

No longer feeling wary or fearful of this major inspection.

Liu Jin glanced at it and saw that the Emperor had personally written his comments on all the memorials from the Ministry of War, but he ignored all the other memorials.

He went to meet the emperor with trepidation.

Lu Xingjian was sweating profusely on the training ground, fighting against a group of agile soldiers.

A crowd gathered around, cheering loudly.

During a break, Liu Jin took the memorial to the emperor and went to ask for his opinion.

Lu Xingjian simply wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, his words tinged with impatience:

"You're always bothering me. What use are you to me? Get out of here!"

Liu Jin smiled obsequiously and bowed as he prepared to leave.

A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders.

The Emperor is truly delegating power.

This demonstrates the importance of trust and reliance.

Lu Xingjian called out to him again: "How is the matter of the Jiangnan salt permits going?"

Liu Jin breathed a sigh of relief, his smile widening as the wrinkles around his eyes bloomed like chrysanthemums.

"Things went smoothly, and Ma Yongcheng will soon personally escort the silver back to Beijing."

Lu Xingjian didn't say anything more, but simply instructed the soldiers to arrange themselves in formation and continue their drills.

Liu Jin had sharp eyes and immediately spotted Qian Ning, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard whom he had met before.

He narrowed his eyes.

Qian Ning truly has won the Emperor's favor.

After much deliberation, Liu Jin instructed the Ministry of Revenue to allocate ten hectares of pastureland for the stables of the Saisho Temple.

This was meant to contribute to the temple's incense offerings, and to fund the upkeep of the eunuchs Qian Xi, Qian Fu, and Qian Neng.

When the Ministry of Revenue handled this matter, it was specifically mentioned that this was something Liu Jin had specially requested for the eunuch Qian Neng and others.

As Qian Neng's adopted son, Qian Ning soon heard about this matter. After thinking it over, he prepared generous gifts and went to visit Liu Jin at his private residence the next day.

Liu Jin seemed to have been waiting for him on purpose, smiling as he had tea, fruit, and snacks served. He pulled Qian Ning aside and talked for a long time, praising Qian Neng highly.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!