July is the hottest time of the month.
It had clearly rained heavily the night before, but the air was still hot and stuffy.
Before the rainy season arrived, the cement production team and the workers in charge of supervising the process were sent to the Jiangnan region to reinforce the dikes and prevent them from breaching under heavy rain.
Development requires money everywhere, and the national treasury is not inexhaustible. Moreover, a large portion of it needs to be reserved for war reserves. If the river were to burst its banks, the resulting losses would be incalculable, and disaster relief would also be a troublesome matter. It is better to take preventative measures in advance.
This prescription has been used before, so there's no worry about making a mistake. Right now, we're just reinforcing the dikes. Once we've settled things with the vassal kings, we can consider raising funds to build roads.
Most official roads nowadays are not standardized, making walking difficult and riding in a horse-drawn carriage bumpy. If they could be paved with cement, it would be so much more comfortable.
However, these were things to consider later. Wen Hemian did not aim too high, but secretly made a plan.
Xie Lang saw all of this and said with a smile, "Perhaps the Grand Tutor is more suitable to be the emperor than I am."
He was the only one who dared to casually discuss this topic, which startled Lai Xi when she heard it.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Wen Hemian was writing something and didn't look up to acknowledge him, but he did spare some attention to deal with him: "You've been emperor for so many years, and you're only now thinking of bringing this up? It's too late."
She understood that this wasn't what Xie Lang really wanted to say. After finishing writing, she put down her pen, pressed it down with a paperweight to let it dry, and then looked up again.
"I've been quite busy these past few days and haven't had much time to spend with Your Majesty. I'll be free tomorrow, shall I accompany Your Majesty on a trip?"
Wen Hemian was conscientious and responsible. The girls' school was beginning to take shape, and she was the only one who was familiar with it. She often helped to give advice. As more women joined, she naturally became busier.
Sometimes, they couldn't even pay attention to Xie Lang.
His attempts to find ways to assert his presence in front of her are childish, but effective.
Wen Hemian reflected on her neglect of him and decided to take a few days off, which wouldn't cause any major problems.
Xie Lang beamed with joy: "Can I arrange this?"
Wen Hemian went along with his suggestion: "Of course."
Xie Lang was tired of dealing with the daily court meetings and couldn't be bothered to listen to the ministers' useless chatter in court. Heeding Wen Hemian's advice, he changed the court meetings to once every five days more than a month ago.
In this way, ministers could not argue recklessly during court sessions, but had to choose their words carefully to ensure they finished speaking.
As for those that are not important or urgent, they are left for the cabinet and the emperor to review together.
Sure enough, not only did it greatly improve efficiency, but it also freed up more free time, which made Xie Lang very satisfied.
Wen Hemian had no idea what he was planning behind the scenes; she just had to follow along and have fun.
As soon as she stepped out of the palace gates, she found the scene outside to be unusually lively, quite different from what she had imagined.
Xie Lang grasped her hand, as if he had expected it, and smiled, "Today is Qixi Festival."
"This is the first Qixi Festival that you and I have truly spent together."
Before Wen Hemian left, even though Xie Lang used tricks to get her to spend Qixi Festival with him, it was coercive. He took advantage of her being drunk and stole a kiss from her, which was indeed despicable and vile.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?" Wen Hemian said helplessly. "I was so busy that I forgot."
"It's alright, I'll take notes."
Perhaps out of happiness, Xie Lang was unusually generous and didn't hold it against her for ignoring him; his voice was very gentle.
He leaned in and kissed the woman's lips, teasingly saying, "When we're out there, Han Shuang, don't let it slip. If outsiders hear you, they'll be terrified."
Wen Hemian pondered that he himself hadn't exactly restrained himself much back then, and raised an eyebrow: "I understand."
The capital city is bustling and lively, making it a great choice for both music and storytelling. The long daylight hours provide ample opportunity for them to enjoy themselves.
But the real highlight of Qixi Festival is in the evening.
When the bright moon hangs high in the sky and the lanterns are lit, young men and women stroll in groups, and the street vendors change, and the place truly comes alive.
Wen Hemian stopped in front of a vendor's stall, picked out two masks, the kind that were comical and adorably ugly. She put one on herself and gave the other to Xie Lang, otherwise the two of them would be too conspicuous in the crowd.
Xie Lang glanced at the mask, clearly reluctant: "Do I really have to wear it?"
Wen Heming didn't expect him to be so troubled by this strange thing, and said with a half-smile, "Getting all vain?"
"ugly."
Despite what was said, seeing that Wen Heming had put it on, Xie Lang hesitated for a moment before putting it on as well.
At least she and the Grand Tutor were a couple.
Wearing masks was simple but effective; their presence in the crowd was indeed greatly reduced. When they saw people releasing lanterns by the river, Xie Lang excitedly insisted on dragging Wen Hemian along to release them together.
This wasn't the first time they'd celebrated a holiday, but these novel experiences were something neither of them had encountered for the first time.
Wen Hemian was happy to indulge his childishness, writing blessings on the lanterns and carefully placing them into the river. She watched as the two lanterns blended into the many others, drifting away with the current.
In an instant, it truly became the Milky Way.
Xie Lang glanced sideways at Wen Hemian.
Concealed by the mask, only those eyes could be seen, peaceful and serene, clear and pure, brightened by the warm glow.
After being kissed and caressed by him, her eyes would fill with affection, captivating and mesmerizing.
"Is there something on my face that's staring at me?"
Wen Hemian suddenly turned around and caught him off guard.
Xie Lang remained calm and composed: "Han Shuang is beautiful. I've imagined many times what it would be like to spend Qixi Festival with you."
But that was all too far off, and he could only fantasize about it in his mind, afraid that if he walked any faster, Wen Hemian would be scared away.
"It's been achieved now."
Wen Hemian suddenly felt a pang of heartache and gripped Xie Lang's hand tightly.
If she had continued to harbor such thoughts, she couldn't imagine how Xie Lang had managed to get through those years.
"Mm," Xie Lang responded, unusually refraining from playing the victim. After a long pause, he continued in a low voice, "Hanshuang, after everything is over, shall we get married?"
Even though he should have been fully confident after spending time together, he still felt uneasy when it came time to say it.
It is truly touching to see a shrewd and calculating emperor showing such caution when it comes to matters of love.
Wen Hemian had always been able to see through his thoughts and thought he would keep it to himself for a long time, but now he couldn't hold back anymore.
However, she didn't keep him waiting long and quickly gave a definite answer: "Okay."
Xie Lang's eyes brightened slightly, and he was so excited that he could hardly breathe: "Really? Really?"
Wen Heming lowered her eyes: "It's fake."
Xie Lang shook her hand, saying, "I don't care, it's true. You said it yourself."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com