In the end, it was Jiang Zhixu who quelled the rebellion, but he brought his daughter, Jiang Shuman, with him.
Fuqu asked Jiang Shumiao.
Aren't you worried?
"What are you worried about?" Jiang Shumiao said, "I've calculated it. My father is destined to live a long life, and my sister is a general who will be on the battlefield sooner or later. By the way, she can also cultivate her relationship with my future brother-in-law."
That's right, Gu Jinchuan also went to quell the rebellion.
Many powerful families were related by marriage, forming a tight bond. When news first came of the prefect and local magistrate massacring the disaster victims, some people pleaded for their lives.
The responsibility was attributed to the disaster victims for disobeying the imperial laws, maliciously spreading the epidemic, looting supplies, and abusing officials and soldiers.
This constitutes treason.
The prefect and the county magistrate worked together to quell the rebellion, and they were not only without fault, but also meritorious.
Upon hearing these outrageous remarks, Emperor Hongde nearly died on the spot from anger.
In the crucial moment, it's still the male lead who matters.
He traveled a thousand miles in a day, secretly going to Qin Prefecture to investigate and collect evidence, bringing back evidence of collusion between local officials and embezzlers.
The government does provide the medicinal herbs allocated by the imperial court, but the people have to pay for them with silver.
Blatant embezzlement.
Wen Zhixuan presented the evidence neatly before the court officials, detailing the date and quantity of medicinal herbs delivered by the imperial court, and the number of merchants and commoners who received them—all clearly documented in black and white.
The truth, the twists and turns, are now clear.
The powerful families all fell silent.
Then Wen Zhixuan led his men to capture the Yin family members who were trying to escape and imprison them in the imperial prison.
Previously, he had frightened the Fifth Princess to tears and had mistaken Fuqu for a demon, which displeased Emperor Hongde. After this incident, he regained the emperor's trust.
Jiang Shumiao also had to sigh.
Although the male lead's character isn't great, he's definitely a promising talent.
The emperor liked ministers like him the most.
It doesn't matter if one has flawed personal morality; what matters is being able to get things done in critical moments and share the burdens of one's ruler. That's more important than anything else.
The emperor, residing in the highest hall of the empire, would not allow anyone to challenge his power; only then could he attend to the well-being of the people.
After all, if he loses his power, how can he work for the well-being of the people?
Furthermore, weakening the powerful clans is itself a move that benefits the people.
When her father and sister left Beijing, Jiang Shumiao went with them to see them off. She wore a bright red dress, and her hair was adorned with two longevity buns tied with red ribbons.
They really do look just like the Fuwa mascots in New Year paintings.
Jiang Shuman hugged her. "You've grown taller and heavier during your time in the palace. It seems you've had a good time there."
Jiang Shumiao smiled, revealing her teeth. She was not even two years old, but all her teeth had already grown in.
"Sister, go early and come back early, and win the battle."
Jiang Shuman kissed her rosy cheeks. "Okay, I'll bring you a present after I win the battle."
Okay.
Compared to her mother's deep worry, Jiang Shumiao was quite optimistic.
Xiao Yitang's brows were furrowed with worry. "The battlefield is dangerous. You must not act rashly. Listen to your father, understand?"
"Don't worry, Mother, I understand."
Emperor Hongde intends to seize this opportunity to wipe out all the powerful and noble families entrenched in the northwest. He is determined to win this battle and not lose.
**
This year's provincial examinations were quite successful, selecting a number of students from impoverished families.
Jiang Yiqing also passed the imperial examination and was assigned to the Censorate by Emperor Hongde. After her heartbreak, Lu Yanhe worked hard in her studies and re-entered the Ministry of Rites, while Lu Yanru went to the Ministry of War.
They were all young and had all started their careers from the bottom.
The same applies to scions of prominent families who are recommended for official positions.
The first imperial examination was a success, and Emperor Hongde was very pleased. He then summoned Wen Zhixuan to discuss how to improve the imperial examination system.
Jiang Shumiao returned to the Duke's mansion.
She wasn't surprised to hear her mother talk about these things.
The male protagonist is blessed with good fortune; whatever he wants to do, even if there are setbacks, he will eventually succeed.
Shen Zhixian has been going through a lot of hardship lately.
Since being sent back, she has basically stayed at home and rarely speaks, even at family dinners, she is like an invisible person.
Wen Zhixuan's cold indifference that day suddenly reminded her of the nightmares she had had.
There was no backstory in the dream; she could only piece together some things from her conversation with Wen Zhixuan before she died in the dream.
Wen Zhixuan overthrew the Xiao imperial family and ascended the throne as emperor.
Then he wanted to make Jiang Shuman his empress.
Blinded by jealousy, he told her the truth about the massacre of her family. Jiang Shuman failed to avenge her family and committed suicide by jumping off a building in despair.
Wen Zhixuan didn't hate Jiang Shuman who hurt him, but he hated himself for having gone through so much trouble to give birth to his son.
In reality, the Jiang family was not wiped out.
Jiang Sixian's scheme failed to achieve its intended result.
Will Wen Zhixuan still become the founding emperor as he dreamed?
At that time, Jiang Shuman...
No, the dream is false; everything is contrary to reality.
But she also knew Wen Zhixuan’s ambition and ability. Now he was helping the emperor deal with the powerful families, which was the first step.
If Wen Zhixuan were merely the Imperial Preceptor, relegated to a subordinate position, it's highly unlikely he would have forcibly taken a subject's wife.
The emperor was a different story.
After all, she knew better than anyone how much Wen Zhixuan hated Gu Jinchuan.
She was feeling troubled when she suddenly felt a weight on her leg. Looking down, she met a pair of clear, innocent eyes.
It was her half-brother, Shen Xubai.
Shen Xubai is almost one year old. The little one is hugging her leg and grinning at her.
"elder sister……"
Shen Zhixian was taken aback.
Shen Jiming, who was seated at the head of the table, smiled and said, "Xu Bai does like you, sister."
Fang's expression was somewhat strained.
She had been tormented by Jiang Sixian a lot in the past, and even though she had now been officially recognized as his wife and had given birth to a son, she was still ridiculed and disliked.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
