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The lights in the tent were out. He wanted to rest early, but an inexplicable restlessness prevented him from closing his eyes. He couldn't understand it. Was this a cause for joy or sorrow? If not for the Emperor's coercion, would she have agreed? He tossed and turned all night, his mind in turmoil. He couldn't find peace, but then he thought, if they spent more time together, she might develop feelings for him too. But the question was, how should he live with her?
He felt she was a complete stranger now, but he couldn't quite put his finger on why.
As dawn broke, he felt drowsy, having spent a sleepless night with a jumbled mess of thoughts. Early that morning, he received news of Pang Linqiu's departure. He clutched a lock of hair tightly in his palm, bound with a red string. He had heard a saying that one should tie a lock of hair from the person one loves to one's own with a red string.
It symbolizes "being bound by a deep bond of love and affection, growing old together and never being separated," so he took a pinch, but he was also afraid that they couldn't be together.
The most important thing right now is to understand the war between Li Kingdom and Tao Kingdom. He rested for a whole afternoon, and after he felt better, he began to plan the course of the war.
Pang Linqiu arrived in Luozhou in the blink of an eye. Luozhou was divided into several districts, with the relatively better-off areas being those inhabited by landlords and some county officials. She skipped these areas and went straight to the impoverished areas, those places where people lived by the river, where they relied on the water for their livelihood.
She learned a little about the people living by the river, who made a living by fishing. The surrounding land was barren and transportation was underdeveloped. She thought that it would take at least a year to improve the area, but she had only talked about it for three months... It was simply wishful thinking, but she didn't have time to wallow in despair here.
She started to get serious, shedding her former naivety and beginning to do big things.
A few days after she left, news of what happened in the capital reached the ears of Peng Xuan'an and others.
Hearing that the Pang family mansion had been raided and her two brothers imprisoned, only the fourth young lady escaped. It was unknown whether His Majesty had taken pity on the Pang family head's advanced age and spared his life. Some speculated that the fourth young lady had fled for her life, as she had not been seen for a long time. Others said she was afraid of dying and planned to live in anonymity for the rest of her life…
Then she heard that the Emperor had bestowed a marriage upon her and him, and those who had speculated about her swallowed all their words. Instead, they discussed the plausibility of the marriage: two people getting married again?
Peng Xuan'an fell silent. Smuggling salt was a serious crime, punishable by execution and the extermination of the entire family. However, there were exceptions. If a woman in the clan married, she would not be executed for this crime, but would bear the stigma of being the daughter of a disgraced official for the rest of her life. But most women who bore this stigma did not have a good time in their husband's family, often suffering neglect from their in-laws, and ultimately committed suicide.
Peng Xuan'an felt the answer was obvious. A few days ago, she suddenly visited, suddenly wanted to marry him, and suddenly laid down three rules...
He lay on the bed, rubbing his forehead and sighing, his eyelids heavy, wanting to close but unable to.
She doesn't want to die, so she came to find me, right?
"No wonder..." he said with a self-deprecating laugh.
He thought that she married him to survive, not because she truly wanted to marry him, and a strange sadness and amusement welled up inside him.
But so what? There's a saying that goes, "Familiarity breeds fondness." He can wait, maybe a few years... until she finally understands and accepts him...
He composed himself, putting the marriage aside and extinguishing all emotional turmoil, to focus on the immediate battle.
It's April now, the height of spring, a vibrant and lively season. She racked her brains to manage the economy of Luozhou, while he fought on the battlefield, month after month passing by.
Three months passed in the blink of an eye, neither fast nor slow. Summer arrived, and the hot wind blew through the forest, the cicadas chirping all summer long. Pang Linqiu came to the palace to report on the results.
Pang Linqiu knelt down and kowtowed, "Your Majesty, I have done my best to handle some areas of Luozhou."
"Oh?" The emperor put down the memorial in his hand, glanced disdainfully at the person on the ground, and said hastily, "Can every family eat three meals a day? Can you really do that?"
"Your Majesty, I have done my best. The poor soil in Luozhou has been properly addressed, and I have also searched far and wide for crops that can produce a lot of produce. In the autumn, there will surely be a bumper harvest, and every family will be able to eat three meals a day."
"Very well, I'll be watching!"
She exclaimed, "Your Majesty! I have something to tell you!"
"explain!"
"In Luozhou, Ru'an County, Zhao Miao is guilty of corruption, bribery, oppression of the people, and arbitrary taxation. We beseech Your Majesty to punish him severely!"
The emperor narrowed his wrinkled eyes, his expression imposing, and frowned. "Really?"
"This humble woman would never dare to deceive Your Majesty! Everything this humble woman has said today is the truth!"
The emperor suddenly stood up, unable to contain his anger. He slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed, "Outrageous!" After calming down, he turned around, waved his sleeve, and gestured for her to leave. "I understand. I will send someone to investigate."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" She withdrew.
September arrived in the blink of an eye. The autumn wind was bleak, and the fruits of the harvest were plentiful. The joyous news of the bountiful harvest in Luozhou reached the emperor's ears, and transportation began to improve. Peng Xuan'an returned to the capital in triumph. The territory of Taojin Kingdom had greatly expanded, and it had gained many treasures and new people. Its prestige soared, and other countries sent gifts to express their sincerity in cooperation.
Two pieces of good news reached the Emperor's ears, and he couldn't stop smiling. The news that pleased him most was the victory brought by Peng Xuan'an. Pang Linqiu's assistance had also been very effective, and he recalled Pang Linqiu, who was busy in Luozhou.
He entrusted all the other poorly developed regions to her, and the emperor said to her with satisfaction, "Once you have handled these regions properly, I will grant you one wish."
Pang Linqiu took the memorial entrusted to her by the emperor through her eunuch. She looked at the regions listed, which numbered more than twenty... Her body trembled with exhaustion, but hearing that one wish could be granted made her feel a little better.
She looked up, her face weary: "Your Majesty, can you truly grant this humble woman one wish?"
"I am the supreme ruler, how could my words be false?"
She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I wish to divorce Peng Xuan'an." She revealed her deepest desire.
The emperor frowned, looking very conflicted. He remembered that he had said he would kill her family if she wanted a divorce.
"Your Majesty! I do not wish to marry General Peng. This matter is brought up by me alone. I hope Your Majesty will not involve my family." She was very serious.
The emperor sighed and compromised, "When you have dealt with these places, I will grant your wish and will not harm your family in the slightest."
Pang Linqiu bowed gratefully, "This humble woman thanks Your Majesty!"
"Hmm." He noticed her haggard appearance: "Xuan'an is back. Rest for a few days and wait for your wedding."
Pang Linqiu was very unhappy to hear this news. She was currently busy with her career and really didn't want to waste too much time dealing with this matter. However, after hearing that Peng Xuan'an had returned, she had someone set an auspicious date for their wedding. She guessed he was probably busy with wedding preparations now.
"This humble woman obeys your command."
"You may leave." He closed his eyes to rest.
Pang Linqiu turned and left the main hall.
The wedding was set for September 27th. She sighed and became worried. Peng Xuan'an's betrothal gifts were too generous, and her family's savings were almost completely depleted. What would she use for her dowry? She was very poor now. If it were before, she wouldn't have had to worry about such things, but she not only had to worry about this, but also about Luozhou.
She thought for a moment, "Why not repay the debt slowly after the wedding by starting a business? For now, I'll borrow some money to serve as part of my dowry..."
She roughly calculated that she now runs several shops and inns in Luozhou... After deducting costs, she can earn tens of thousands of yuan, and with foreign trade, she can still make a living.
"Zhichun." A familiar voice called out to her.
Hearing the familiar voice, Pang Linqiu's heart skipped a beat. Months had passed, but the incident was still vivid in her mind, and she couldn't forget the pain. She stopped and turned around; it was Qin Xiangde.
"Mo He..." she quickly changed her address, forcing a smile as she looked at him, "What is it, Your Highness?" This form of address caused her a pang of pain.
Qin Xiangde was taken aback when he heard this address, but he quickly recovered and smiled wryly, "Are you still angry?"
"Your Highness is too kind! How could I possibly be angry with you?"
Qin Xiangde understood that she was putting on a brave face; in reality, she was still angry with him. He knew her personality well enough that she usually didn't express her anger directly, but rather used unfamiliar words to express her dissatisfaction.
"Zhichun, I heard that you will soon be marrying Xuan'an." He lowered his eyes and smiled gently, offering his blessings in a soft voice, "Congratulations, I wish you a long and happy marriage, and a blessed life together."
After hearing his blessing, she felt as if the air had frozen, and she couldn't breathe no matter how hard she tried. Her heart felt heavy and painful, as if it were being tightly gripped by a hand. She wanted to cry to express her sadness. How much pain must it hurt to be blessed by someone you like?
Pang Linqiu's forced smile faded. After taking a deep breath and slowly pushing herself forward, she whispered dejectedly, "Thank you."
Qin Xiangde suddenly took out a small gold coin. The coin was exquisitely crafted, with a bird spreading its wings and landing on a flower bush on its surface, and the character "crane" was placed at the corner.
He placed the gold coin in her hand: "This is my token."
"I heard from Father that you've been busy with trivial matters in Luozhou lately. If you ever run out of money, you can take my token to the bank to withdraw as much as you like." He wanted to make up for his mistakes and also to compensate her. He was also saddened by the confiscation of her property.
Pang Linqiu was stunned for a moment and wanted to refuse, but Qin Xiangde turned around and waved goodbye.
"I'm going back to be with Shu An." She turned and ran off.
Pang Linqiu knew this was just an excuse, and he understood her current predicament. A warmth spread through her heart, and her hatred for him subsided. Her affection ultimately suppressed her resentment; she hated that things had happened so suddenly.
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