In the timeline, all the supporting characters who were supposed to cause trouble and harm the female lead went on strike. As a result, many things did not happen on time. In addition, Mu Ruoling's attempt to show off at the triumphant banquet backfired and she lost face abroad. Instead of clearing her name, she was labeled as lacking self-awareness and being a show-off.
However, as the female protagonist who attracts trouble wherever she goes, with so many noble ladies in Zhaodu, there are bound to be some who are caught in her "brainless halo" and jump out to cause trouble for various reasons. But without Yan Ling as the informant and the one who cleans up the mess, Mu Ruoling's victory was not graceful, and her defeat was not honorable.
Yan Ling initially didn't intend to deal with Mu Ruoling because of her face, but he didn't intend to let go of the Empress who had caused the lives of the two of them to be turned upside down, who might also have a short lifespan, and who was suspected of harming Consort Chen.
Mu Ruoyin didn't know how her mother had suddenly been poisoned. When the investigation finally led to a cook who had committed suicide, she knew things were bad. Without consulting anyone, she took a drastic measure: cutting flesh to use as medicine. This improved the Empress's condition and also put Yanling in a difficult position.
The two had not yet arranged a marriage, and due to the order of seniority, Yan Ling still interfered in Mu Ruoling's messy affairs.
The incident that should have happened in the original timeline—drugging and ruining Mu Ruoling's reputation—continued with a different character. Yan Ling, as the male lead, not only failed to save her this time but also pushed her further.
Fortunately, the female lead's halo overpowered the male lead's halo at the crucial moment. With the help of the loyal assassin she unintentionally saved, Mu Ruoling escaped and had the effects of the drug dispelled by her internal energy, successfully preserving her innocence. However, her reputation was inevitably ruined, and the loyal assassin was also killed by the Yanling Sect.
Even now, the emperor still hasn't given up on finding a perfect match for his beloved daughter, a match that seems to exist only in heaven and on earth. However, he hasn't found a suitable candidate yet, until Xuan Yan and General Yue return.
...
Under the protection of General Yue, Xuan Yan successfully arrived in Longyou. He then worked tirelessly and diligently, and finally managed to settle all the disaster victims and resolve the post-disaster reconstruction issues.
The dike was breached, which naturally indicated a problem with the project. Nine out of ten dikes that were breached during floods were shoddy constructions. However, the safety of the people was of paramount importance. The two of them sent people to find evidence while simultaneously reassuring the prefect and other local officials to work together on disaster relief.
There are public granaries in the area, which store grain for disaster relief. It is said that the granaries have been opened and grain has been distributed, but when they arrived, many people still starved to death.
They also discovered that the local officials were embezzling funds, reselling the grain stored in the granary to grain merchants, and then passing off inferior goods as superior ones to deceive the public. They could no longer tolerate this.
After discovering that they had been exposed, the prefect failed to bribe them and, instead of repenting, intended to kill them to cover up the matter, and pin the blame on the bandits.
The two were prepared, one skilled in literature and the other in martial arts, and worked together effectively to capture him and then purge his entire force.
When the news reached the capital, Mu Ruoling was filled with disbelief, and then she cursed Wei Zixiao inwardly for being useless, failing to even discover such an important matter. As a direct descendant of the prestigious Wei family of Nanling, and the son of the Grand Secretary, he clearly had such excellent connections and resources, yet he was still less capable than a poor scholar; he was truly hopeless.
She thought again and assumed it was officials protecting each other. She thought to herself that powerful families were indeed a cancer, not thinking about serving the people, but only knowing how to exploit them. Little did she know that what she wore and what she wore on her head were also the people's hard-earned money.
As winter approached, Xuan Yan and General Yue returned to the capital, accompanied by local officials, including the Prefect of Longyou, who was imprisoned in a prison cart. Wherever they went, the people warmly welcomed them.
The two men had rendered great service, and the emperor rewarded them handsomely. Promotion and wealth were inevitable. At Mu Ruoling's suggestion, they were both granted the title of county earl, and the rest of the entourage also received rewards.
—Seeing his beloved daughter praising Xuan Yan again, the emperor once again conceived the idea of matchmaking.
Compared to the rewards given to Xuan Yue and the other two, the emperor's previous rewards to Wei Shaofu seemed very stingy, and some people secretly felt indignant on his behalf.
In the long run, bicycles and cement, especially the latter, bring immeasurable benefits. They were used in the reconstruction of the dikes, and other regions also began reinforcing water conservancy projects and repairing official roads. However, the reward given to Wei Shaofu, who contributed the formula, was meager; even after the first successful application, the emperor did not offer any further reward.
Although some people were happy to keep their official positions, the thought of the emperor blurring the lines between public and private affairs was truly chilling.
The more outstanding Di Xiu is, the more recognition he receives. The emperor's suppression only highlights his humility and composure, which makes some old-fashioned people who were originally prejudiced against him nod in approval, and makes cynical students admire him.
After returning to the capital from the banquet, Xuan Yan reported on his duties and went back to the mansion bestowed by the emperor. Soon after, he received an imperial edict of reward, but he knew it was inappropriate and said that he was not worthy of the position and dared not accept it.
He wasn't just a bookworm; otherwise, he wouldn't have discovered the problem with the grain in the granary. Knowing he had neither background nor foundation, he feared that his recent success and the emperor's generous reward might arouse jealousy. However, he couldn't resist the smooth talk and flattery of the visiting eunuch and ultimately accepted the imperial decree.
After the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree left, the eldest princess sent someone to congratulate her. This palace maid was Mu Ruoling's head maid, and she naturally wanted to curry favor with her mistress. Only then did he realize that it was the eldest princess who had spoken up for him. He couldn't bear to blame her and thanked her again.
After seeing off all the congratulatory guests, General Yue arrived. He dismissed the servants, closed the door, and said to him, "Brother Xuan, you shouldn't have accepted that imperial decree."
"What do you mean by that, Brother Yue?"
The two only knew that the cement formula was presented by the eldest son of the Wei family, but they didn't have a chance to find out anything else. However, when General Yue was about to receive the imperial decree today, he was stopped by his parents, and thus learned about the situation. He immediately rushed to find Xuan Yan.
They were practically brothers who had risked their lives for each other, but it was too late.
"It's good that the Emperor values you, but this imperial edict today puts you on the hot seat. Wei Zixiao is a proud and arrogant man. Can he really tolerate this?"
Xuan Yan listened in silence for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I have not had much contact with Young Master Wei, but he is not an unreasonable person. I heard that the emperor originally intended to give him the task of disaster relief, but later gave it to me instead. He was very frank and even gave me a book, which helped me a lot."
"The one you used to treat like a treasure?"
Xuan Yan nodded, and General Yue scratched his head, muttering, "Has he changed his ways?"
However, he didn't dwell on that question and instead thought of something else: "My father said that person has been suppressing the Wei family recently. I know I can't stop you, but you should be careful."
Xuan Yan was taken aback but did not speak. General Yue, who knew his temperament well, patted him on the shoulder to comfort him and then took his leave.
Xuan Yan was interested in finding out what had happened in Zhaodu recently, so he sent his steward out to investigate and deliver a visiting card to the Wei family.
He didn't sleep all night. His gratitude and respect for Young Master Wei, who should now be called Young Master Wei, grew deeper and deeper. But the beautiful woman's smile before he left the capital gradually shattered in front of him.
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