18 Finale
As soon as he arrived at the Yangxin Palace, Grand Tutor Xu brought all the officials to meet him.
Unlike the previous doubts and wait-and-see attitude, this time the officials looked at Shen Zhiyuan with a bit more admiration and recognition.
Shen Zhiyuan implemented the grain tax reform with his life to seek the welfare of the people, which had long since eliminated the voices of opposition.
"Your Majesty, Lord Chen," Taifu Xu bowed and saluted with a sincere tone.
"The Jiangnan gentry have all been brought to justice, the grain tax reform has been successfully implemented, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment. This is a blessing for our dynasty and for the entire nation! We implore Your Majesty and Your Excellency to jointly govern the country and create a prosperous era!"
All the officials echoed the sentiment, shouting in unison: "We sincerely request that Your Majesty and Lord Chen jointly govern the country and create a prosperous era!"
Li Zhaoyi looked at the neatly arranged procession below, then turned to look at Shen Zhiyuan beside her, her eyes filled with smiles. She knew they had waited too long for this day to arrive.
She cleared her throat, her voice firm yet gentle, "Gentlemen, please stand. Your Majesty and I will work together for the country and the people, and will never let you down!"
Since then, no one in the court questioned Shen Zhiyuan's identity, and the royal family also restrained their arrogance.
Li Zhaoyi and Shen Zhiyuan handled government affairs side by side. He was good at coordinating the overall situation and formulating strategies, while she was good at grasping people's hearts and implementing new policies. The two cooperated tacitly and managed the government in an orderly manner.
The northern border defenses became increasingly secure, and the Xiongnu no longer dared to attack easily; the grain tax reform in the south was effective, and the people's granaries gradually filled up;
The refugees all returned to their hometowns, and the newly opened fertile fields stretched as far as the eye could see. Even envoys from the Western Regions came with treasures to pay tribute, praising Dayin for having a wise empress and a capable ruler.
In her spare time, Li Zhaoyi would go for a walk in the Imperial Garden with Shen Zhiyuan.
Watch the peach blossoms bloom in spring, listen to the cicadas chirping in summer, enjoy the falling ginkgo leaves in autumn, and watch the snow falling in winter.
Sometimes they would sit on the stone bench where Shen Zhiyuan used to teach the village children to read, and recall the days in Qingxi County. Those difficult but warm times became the most precious memories in their hearts.
Once, Li Zhaoyi looked at Shen Zhiyuan and suddenly smiled and said, "Do you remember the first time I went to Qingxi County to find you? You even refused to open the imperial edict and made me stay in a dilapidated temple for several nights."
Shen Zhiyuan also smiled, stretched out his hand to ruffle her hair, and said with a bit of pampering in his tone: "How could I have known at that time that Your Majesty would be so stubborn and willing to put down even the emperor's airs in order to invite me out of seclusion."
"It's because you're too stubborn." Li Zhaoyi leaned in his arms, her voice gentle, "But fortunately, I'm stubborn enough, so I didn't miss you."
Shen Zhiyuan hugged her tightly, his chin resting on the top of her head, and said in a low and serious voice: "It is my good fortune to meet Your Majesty and to be able to accompany Your Majesty to protect this land."
From then on, there was no more wind and rain, only the falling snow on the crabapple blossoms, the aroma of green plum wine, and the companionship of each other year after year.
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