"Golden Sparrow!"
Lin Yuqiao's mouth watered at the thought of the deep-fried, glistening sparrows.
Upon hearing the names of the dishes she mentioned, Liu Heng refused without even thinking.
"It's too greasy. I'm going to bed, I can't eat that."
He turned around and ordered her some light seasonal vegetables and snacks, plus a bowl of green rice porridge.
Unable to eat what she wanted most, Lin Yuqiao looked at Liu Heng with a melancholy expression.
After thinking for a moment, Liu Heng ordered another bowl of fish noodles for her, according to her taste. Then, seeing that she still didn't look happy, he indicated that this was the end of it and that he couldn't back down any further.
If you can't eat anything you want in order to maintain your health, you won't be happy even if you live to be a hundred.
Despite her grievances, Lin Yuqiao couldn't continue acting up when she saw Liu Heng's calm gaze.
Strangely enough, although Liu Heng never yelled at her or spoke harshly, as long as he looked at her quietly, she would calm down and dare not continue to make a fuss.
Perhaps she was truly hungry, for the baby in her belly didn't throw a tantrum either. When the dishes were served, the table was filled with fresh, fragrant, and vibrant greens, which whetted her appetite just as much.
Seeing her eating so happily, Liu Heng, who never ate anything after mealtime, couldn't help but ask for a bowl of porridge as well.
Are you hungry?
After swallowing a mouthful of pea flour cake, Lin Yuqiao glanced at Liu Heng and smiled slyly.
Sometimes she even suspected that Liu Heng was a programmed, lifelike robot, his daily life and routine strictly adhering to rules and regulations. He seemed genuinely starving tonight, otherwise why would he be eating a late-night snack with her?
Liu Heng glanced at her sideways, ate a couple of bites, and then put down his bowl.
"No, who cares what time it is? Just eat when you're hungry. Don't worry, I didn't see anything."
To ease Liu Heng's unease and encourage him to eat a few more bites, Lin Yuqiao covered her eyes with her hands, peeking at him through her fingers.
Since his injury last year, he hasn't recovered and has become so thin he's almost unrecognizable. He's supposed to be her human-shaped body pillow, yet his waist is almost as thin as hers—bad review!
A slight smile played on Liu Heng's lips as he chuckled and gently removed her hand. "You should eat quickly. You should rest after you finish eating."
It had been a long time since Liu Heng had been able to interact with people so easily and freely. He felt that the ordinary days he had never paid attention to before were now precious.
His gaze was gentle, like a spring breeze in April. Lin Yuqiao returned his gaze, her cheeks slightly flushed, and their eyes met, creating a romantic atmosphere.
After gazing at each other for a moment, Liu Heng chuckled and slowly moved closer to her.
When they were within a distance where they could feel each other's breath, he could clearly see her trembling long eyelashes, like butterfly wings fluttering, slowly covering her bright eyes, leaving a fan-like dark silhouette on her straight nose.
Why are you closing your eyes?
Liu Heng reached out his finger and wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth.
Lin Yuqiao suddenly opened her eyes and glared at him angrily.
He ruined such a good atmosphere. If this blockhead were in the 21st century, he would be destined to be single forever.
It was all her fault for being so stupid. She thought that after not seeing each other for so long, he would treat her like a new couple after a long separation.
Continuing to glare resentfully at Liu Heng, Lin Yuqiao felt like banging her forehead against the table again. Why did this guy have to get so close for no reason, making her lose face?
What do you think I should do?
Her outburst left Liu Heng completely bewildered. It took him a while to realize that perhaps his earlier actions had been inappropriate.
He flirted with her, but only did half of it. Isn't that going too far?
Lin Yuqiao threw down her chopsticks, grabbed Liu Heng's sleeve, and tried to accuse him of his lack of romantic understanding with her eyes. Her delicate face was full of expression, and her pouting lips were pink and soft.
Liu Heng finally understood, smiled, and leaned in again to kiss her lips.
He only tried it briefly before leaving.
However, this was enough for her. Lin Yuqiao smiled, and her dimples reappeared faintly at the corners of her lips.
After washing up, the two lay in the tent. Lin Yuqiao leaned over, hugged his neck, and was still giggling.
"Are you that happy?"
Even in the darkness, Liu Heng felt as if her smile was practically glowing. He lowered his head and continued kissing her dimples.
"I'm so glad you haven't changed. That's wonderful."
Covered by his slightly cool scent, she mumbled her words, then tried to look up and respond.
Liu Heng remained as steadfast and composed as a pine tree, unchanged by his status and power, and continued to treat her well, which made her feel at ease and happy.
Lin Yuqiao's body was not the same as usual. After being intimate for a while, Liu Heng stopped on his own and held her in his arms to calm his somewhat passionate body.
"Ziping, I remember everything you said, and you must remember it too."
Holding his arm, Lin Yuqiao hesitated for a moment before deciding to speak.
This time, they were on the same wavelength, and he instantly understood what she meant.
The princess's words flashed through his mind, and finally, Liu Heng patted her back and said in a low voice, "Mm."
Having received his promise once again, Lin Yuqiao finally felt at ease.
I can love deeply, as long as you don't betray me.
She giggled and rolled around on the bed until Liu Heng finally hugged her, patted her bottom, and said, "Behave yourself and go to sleep."
Feeling happy and relaxed, Lin Yuqiao quickly fell asleep with steady breathing.
Liu Heng propped himself up on his arm and, by the moonlight, looked down at her sweet sleeping face.
In the desolate mountains and forests, they struggled to survive together. When he went to Chenliu, she worked hard to maintain stability in his household.
She could openly show her truest self in front of him; all her joy and laughter, her anger and tears, were purely for him. In this life, he would never meet another girl as pure and passionate as her.
Thinking of this, Liu Heng suddenly realized that before he even realized it, she had already settled in the softest corner of his heart. He couldn't bear to see her sad or hurt, and he wanted to do everything he could for her.
Even if his promise would complicate the situation in the manor and require more effort to control the inner quarters, he would still gladly accept it.
This thought made Liu Heng feel somewhat dangerous, but he couldn't bear to push away the person in his arms.
He kissed her forehead, then lay down, held her tightly in his arms, and closed his eyes.
He already admitted defeat, didn't he?
He knew that the princess and the other women were gentle and obedient to him only because he was the Prince of Huaiyang and the crown prince.
Lin, however, gave him her true feelings simply because he was Liu Heng. He didn't know when it started, but only in her presence could he truly be himself.
The next day, Lin Yuqiao woke up naturally after a pleasant sleep.
Lying in bed, drinking milk, she sighed contentedly. Thanks to the child, and because the Crown Princess was busy, she finally didn't have to pay her respects every day.
Liu Heng had already left, so he could only spare one night to relax. There were still many things waiting for him to deal with.
In addition, Lin Yucheng has been extremely busy ever since he re-established the crown prince.
When the former crown prince was first deposed, regardless of whether the charges were true or false, he was accused of many crimes, one of which was treason. Among the officials in the Eastern Palace who were interrogated in connection with the case, someone implicated Lin Yuqi.
Although he had been living in constant fear, he still held onto hope for life, so he did not choose to end his own life; only Kim "died of illness."
But not long after, he was imprisoned again.
This time, Lin Yuqi's experience was far less comfortable than before. He was subjected to torture and interrogation every day, forced to confess to the treason plot. Having never actually participated, Lin Yuqi had nothing to confess and could not say anything, so he was beaten even more severely.
Chen Lianghou was no longer able to help him, so he put pressure on Lin Yucheng. Lin Yucheng then contacted the clan elders to expel Lin Yuqi from the clan.
He had contacted influential elders in the clan beforehand and revealed some of what Lin Yuqi had done, letting them know that Lin Yuqi was doomed this time.
Fearing being implicated by him, and given that Lin Yuqi had been imprisoned twice, the clan elders naturally pressured Chen Lianghou to give up on Lin Yuqi.
However, before Chen Lianghou could agree, news came that Lin Yuqi had committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment.
After Lin Yuqi's funeral was over, Chen Lianghou fell ill and was bedridden. Even so, he still managed to withstand the pressure from the clan and personally submitted a memorial to establish Xingge'er as the heir apparent.
Although he never thought he could inherit the Marquis's mansion, Chen Lianghou's actions still chilled Lin Yucheng to the bone, making him even more determined to make the best of his future.
It is rare for the position of heir apparent to be passed over to a grandson. Marquis Chen Liang was ill at home and did not go out, but the second master could not help but be mentioned by outsiders when they talked about him, which made him lose face.
Lin Yucheng was finally able to move out, having already found a place beforehand, so he wasn't in a hurry.
Marquis Chen Liang did not support his move, after all, Xing Ge'er would not grow up in a short time, and the Marquis's mansion needed Lin Yucheng to support it.
But he was powerless to stop it. Both the clan and the outside world supported Lin Yucheng's departure from the mansion.
After all, anyone with a modicum of sense could have guessed that with Xing Ge'er being approved as the heir apparent, Lin Yucheng would be in an awkward position in the Marquis's mansion. His elder brother, Lin Yuqi, was no longer alive, and his nephew would inherit the title in the future. Logically, they should be able to separate their families now.
Because Marquis Chen Liang is still alive, and he does not agree to the division of the family, they cannot divide the family. Even though Lin Yucheng left the mansion first, he still belongs to the Marquis's branch and cannot be separated.
Li Shi, Lin Yufeng, and others also moved out with Lin Yucheng. For a time, only Chen Lianghou and Xing Ge'er, the two proper masters, and the Second Master's family remained in Chen Lianghou's mansion, which inevitably became desolate.
After leaving the mansion, Lin Yucheng's life was not difficult.
As Lin Yuqiao's status became more and more noble with the Prince of Huaiyang becoming the Crown Prince, and her older brother Lin Yucheng was also promising, it was always good to establish a good relationship with him, even though it was hard to predict what would happen in the future.
Not only were the clan elders enthusiastic and supportive of Lin Yucheng, but other relatives and friends were also eager to befriend him. It was because of their protection that Lin Yucheng's stance of breaking away from the Marquis's mansion and becoming independent was not criticized by outsiders.
Lin Yucheng himself was filled with ambition because Liu Heng became the crown prince. He spent a lot of effort to improve the reform policies that he had prepared for many years. After receiving Liu Heng's praise, he put them into practice in court with Liu Heng's secret support.
Therefore, after becoming the top scholar in the imperial examination in the thirty-second year of Jianwu, Lin Yucheng once again became famous in the capital for his "equal taxation of the fields".
Many years ago, Emperor Jianwu conducted land surveys in all counties and prefectures across the country in order to increase revenue from rent and corvée labor.
The main task was to measure the land, which also included verifying household registrations. Each state and county was required to investigate the amount of land, the number of households, and their ages, so that the state could control the land and the labor force.
At the same time, the land and population of powerful landlords were investigated to limit the amount of land they could annex and the number of people they could enslave, thereby increasing the state's tax revenue.
This move severely damaged the interests of powerful landlords, especially in Yingchuan and Hongnong. These landlords colluded with local officials to fiercely resist the policy and gathered refugees from various places, forming several powerful forces. Emperor Jianwu sent troops to suppress them many times, but he was unable to completely eliminate them.
In response to these problems, as well as the issue of displaced people, Lin Yucheng came up with the idea of "equal taxation on all fields" to solve them all at once.
On the one hand, they sent people to summon the rebels, allowing them to denounce each other and be exempted from punishment. They also pardoned local officials for crimes such as lingering, evading, or deliberately letting the rebels go, thus mobilizing their enthusiasm to quell the rebellion. Afterwards, they "relocated their leaders to other prefectures, provided them with land and allowances, and enabled them to make a living in peace," preventing these powerful clans and military leaders from continuing to commit crimes and start rebellions by relying on their clan power.
On the other hand, based on the land survey, the "land measurement" was carried out. Every September, the county magistrate would organize a land survey and classify the land into five grades according to the fertility of the soil. The "equal tax" was based on the results of the "land measurement" and the tax amount was set accordingly.
The Fangtian Equal Tax Law uncovered land concealed by powerful landlords, increasing national revenue and alleviating the burden on farmers. It encouraged displaced people to return to their hometowns or cultivate land locally, levying taxes based on the acreage, with the government collecting and disbursing the taxes at reasonable prices, thus preventing exploitation.
If his reform measures are implemented effectively, they can eliminate malpractices and bring about a new era. Once proposed in court, they sparked widespread discussion, and Emperor Jianwu attached great importance to his proposal.
After a period of debate, Emperor Jianwu finally overruled the objections and adopted Lin Yucheng's reform measures. He appointed Lin as a councilor and, under Lin's leadership, began to implement the "equal taxation of land surveyed throughout the country."
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