The slightly trembling fingertips betrayed the turmoil in the emperor's heart.

Xiao Che took a deep breath before steadily taking the thick manuscript titled "The Five-Year Plan of the Great Liang" from Lin Wanwan's hands.

The amount of paper was not much, but its weight exceeded a thousand pounds.

He didn't look at it on the spot, but instead gave Lin Wanwan a very complicated look. She looked extremely haggard from staying up for several nights, with faint dark circles under her eyes, which also added to her fragility.

"You've worked hard." His voice was slightly hoarse. "Go have your meal first, then get a good night's sleep. Leave the rest to me."

Without giving Lin Wanwan a chance to explain, he pushed her out of the study and personally ordered Qin Zheng and Ruolan to escort the Empress to rest.

After doing all this, he returned to the Imperial Study alone, holding the "plan" in his hands, with a solemn expression, through the secret passage.

"No one is allowed to disturb us!"

Upon returning to the Imperial Study, Xiao Che issued the most severe decree of the day. He dismissed all eunuchs and palace maids, personally closed the heavy palace doors, and transformed the entire Imperial Study into a secluded chamber isolated from the world.

Instead of sitting on the dragon throne, he walked to the soft couch where he usually rested and solemnly placed the plan on the low table in front of him.

The sky outside the window was already bright, but inside the imperial study, the closed doors and windows made it somewhat dim. Xiao Che lit the candlesticks on the table, and the flickering candlelight added a touch of ritual to the historic reading that was about to begin.

He sat down, calmed himself down, and then slowly and solemnly turned to the first page of the "Da-Liang Five-Year Plan".

This observation lasted for an entire day.

At first, Xiao Che's face showed a mixture of admiration and curiosity as a husband. He wanted to see what kind of blueprint his empress had drawn up for him.

However, as he read on word by word, the expression on his face began to change little by little.

What started as admiration turned into astonishment.

From surprise, it turned into shock.

Then, the shock turned into...unbelievable horror!

The first part of the plan is about "people's livelihood".

The first point was Lin Wanwan's detailed plan for the "Martyrs' Garden," which she had previously mentioned in court, but it was far more comprehensive than what she had described there. The second point, which followed immediately, was a completely new idea that took his breath away—establishing a national-level orphanage, the "Orphanage"!

The plan states: "The foundation of a nation lies in its people. The loss of orphans is a national tragedy. The state should fund the establishment of orphanages where all orphans without anyone to care for them can enter. The state will provide them with food and clothing, teach them to read and write, and teach them a skill. When they reach adulthood, they can either join the army to serve the country or work in industry or commerce, all of which will enable them to support themselves and become pillars of the nation, rather than becoming a hidden danger on the streets."

This humanitarian and compassionate philosophy deeply impacted Xiao Che's mind! Throughout history, orphans have mostly been adopted by charitable organizations or clans; there has never been a precedent of the state taking the lead in systematically raising and educating them!

What a broad mind and compassion this requires!

If the idea of ​​the "orphanage" only impressed him with Lin Wanwan's "benevolence," then what followed left him completely stunned.

The second part of the plan is about "economics".

Lin Wanwan elaborated on the plans they had previously discussed, including the "Royal Bank," "Standardization of Weights and Measures," and "Opening up trade routes," and provided an outrageously detailed set of implementation steps and risk assessments.

Among them, what made Xiao Che's pupils shrink the most was a financial concept called "issuing long-term construction bonds with national credit"!

"Bonds? Borrowing from the people with the nation's credit to fund large-scale projects such as water conservancy and road construction, with a promise to repay the principal and interest in the future through tax revenue?"

Looking at the text on the paper that he needed to read repeatedly to understand, Xiao Che felt his entire worldview being overturned!

Money can be "borrowed" like this?

Can a nation still use its "credit" as a quantifiable asset to obtain immediate development funds?

This...this is simply unheard of, an idea straight out of a fairy tale! It completely breaks free from the prevailing mindset of "do as much as you have" and introduces a terrifying force he has never encountered before, called "capital operation"!

The more he looked, the more horrified he became, and the colder his hands and feet grew.

If he could understand Lin Wanwan's previous ideas as a result of her intelligence and innovative thinking, then the concept of "national bonds" was completely beyond his comprehension.

This doesn't seem like the kind of wisdom that should exist in this world.

However, this is not the end.

The third part of the plan is about "education and talent".

When Xiao Che saw the proposal to "establish a women's vocational technical school, 'Shanggong Academy'", he was completely numb.

"Women enter academies to learn arithmetic, weaving, medicine, and management... Those who excel in the examinations can enter the palace as female officials, or even be sent out to serve as clerks?"

He stared at the clear handwriting on the paper, and only one thought crossed his mind—she's gone mad! His empress has absolutely gone mad!

This is no longer just transgressing ancestral rules; it's about completely overturning the very foundation of society!

One idea after another, like thunderclaps, exploded in his mind!

Establish a national-level orphanage called "Yuyoutang"!

The "Shanggongyuan" Women's Vocational and Technical School was established!

Issuing long-term construction bonds with national credit!

...

Each of these ideas shines with a timeless brilliance, carrying a powerful logic that he could not comprehend yet instinctively felt was absolutely correct.

They are systematic, complete, and interconnected, together forming a grand blueprint for an ideal country that he had never imagined—an efficient, fair, and vibrant nation.

This is not some whimsical idea; it is a complete and frighteningly advanced governing program!

What he held in his hand was not a business plan.

This is clearly a "standard answer" from... another world!

As the sun set, the candles in the imperial study were lit again and again.

Xiao Che finally turned to the last page.

He slowly closed the plan, leaned back against the cold chair, closed his eyes, and his chest heaved violently.

His mind was in complete chaos.

Shock, horror, ecstasy, and... a deep, unspeakable fear.

He recalled everything that had happened since he met Lin Wanwan.

She could always see through his truest thoughts, as if she possessed eyes that could see into people's hearts.

She always manages to come up with some strange but incredibly effective things, like those delicious little cakes or that magical "KPI assessment method".

She always manages to utter some unheard-of yet thought-provoking truths, such as "information warfare" and "macroeconomic regulation."

Previously, he attributed all of this to her humble origins, unique insights, and exceptional talent.

But now, when these scattered "oddities" are systematically linked together by this complete Five-Year Plan that transcends the entire era, an utterly absurd yet seemingly the only reasonable ultimate question, like a magic vine breaking through the soil, is growing wildly in his heart.

Who...is she?

Where does she come from?

Just then, a soft knock came from outside the palace door. It was Ruolan's voice.

"Your Majesty, the Empress noticed that you haven't eaten all day, so she specially prepared bird's nest soup and sent it to you."

Xiao Che suddenly opened his eyes, his expression a complex and unfathomable one.

"Let her...in." His voice was somewhat hoarse.

The palace doors were pushed open, and Lin Wanwan personally carried in a tray. Seeing that the palace was dimly lit, she went to his side, lit the candles for him, and then gently placed the bowl of still steaming bird's nest soup on the low table in front of him.

"You've had a busy day, you should take a break." Her voice was a little hoarse from staying up all night, but it was full of concern and tenderness.

Xiao Che didn't speak; he simply raised his head and looked at her quietly.

Looking at her gentle profile as she lit the lamp for him, at the dark circles under her eyes that she couldn't hide, at the pure care in her eyes.

His eyes were incredibly complex.

There was shock, exploration, confusion, and a trace of dependence that he himself was unaware of.

Lin Wanwan felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, and waved her hand in front of his eyes: "What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

She saw it the instant she waved her hand.

She saw the emoji above his head that made her heart skip a beat.

It was a small, pixelated emperor, solemnly scanning a blurry female figure. Above his head, a line of flashing text slowly appeared, sending chills down her spine—

[My wife...could she really be a goddess descended to earth, or...someone from another time? .gif]

Lin Wanwan's body froze instantly.

Xiao Che did not ask that question.

He simply looked at her deeply, deeply, his gaze seeming to pierce through her skin and see the deepest secrets of her soul.

Finally, he slowly withdrew his gaze, reached out, and closed the plan that was enough to change the fate of the entire Liang Dynasty.

He spoke to her in a tone of unprecedented solemnity:

"Wanwan, tomorrow, we'll convene a meeting of the core cabinet members for a 'closed-door meeting' with just the few of us."