The world was initially settled in three
The renovation of Jinzhou Prefecture is progressing quite quickly. In just over ten days, the people of the prefecture have begun to return to their normal lives, and Wang Pan'er's four shops will soon be reopening.
After Li Decheng and his men finished organizing the files on the traitors and detained them and the prisoners of war, they were ready to return to Beijing.
Coincidentally, just as Li Decheng was organizing his troops at the city gate, the relief grain distributed by the imperial court arrived in Jinzhou Prefecture.
Along with the relief grain arrived, so too did the second-place winner of this autumn imperial examination, Li Qingyan, the newly appointed prefect appointed by the emperor.
Upon hearing the good news, Aunt Tian immediately rushed out of the medicinal cuisine restaurant and saw Li Qingyan standing at the city gate with cartloads of relief grain, directing his subordinates to start assigning tasks. She couldn't help but step forward and hug her son, tears streaming down her face.
Wang Pan'er and Mu Chuan followed closely behind Aunt Tian, watching with smiles as they watched the ill-fated mother and son endure all the hardships that fate had brought them.
When Li Qingyan saw the Princess Consort of the County standing at a distance, not wanting to disturb their reunion, he cupped his hands in greeting.
Since they met in Da'an Town, and until they left Jinzhou Prefecture for the capital, Li Qingyan had always presented himself with a serious and respectful demeanor. This was the first time Wang Pan'er had seen him smile.
She nudged Wang Xiaoyao, who had rushed over upon hearing the news and was standing beside her, and said, "Yan-ge'er seems much better now, doesn't he?"
Wang Xiaoyao's mind wasn't on Li Qingyan's changes. She couldn't wait to relinquish the heavy responsibility of overseeing the overall situation in Jinzhou Prefecture and then take a complete rest for a while: "I really didn't expect the prefect to be him. He's so reassuring. I need to hand over my work as soon as possible. The capable can do more work, but the capable can't stand working all the time."
At this moment, an official dressed in government robes approached them. Judging from the pattern of his robes, he was likely a sub-prefect or assistant prefect who had been sent to the prefecture together. He said to the two of them, "Please, Your Highness and the Pavilion Master, proceed to the main hall of the prefectural government office. An imperial edict has been issued."
Issuing them an imperial edict at this critical juncture, with an attitude of utmost respect, is undoubtedly a good thing.
Wang Xiaoyao's act of leading the people of Jinzhou Prefecture to save themselves was both a coincidence and a genuine act of goodwill. She never expected any extra reward, and gaining the Emperor's approval was a tremendous encouragement.
When they arrived at the government office with the crowd, Fang Jiming was also summoned.
Once everyone had arrived, the prefect unfolded the imperial edict and read it aloud.
Officials inside the main hall and commoners outside knelt down in a rush.
The Emperor commended Wang Xiaoyao for her meritorious service in protecting the people during the war and for her heroic spirit. He conferred upon her the title of Lady of Chiayi County, granting her a fief of three hundred households and a rank equivalent to that of the eldest daughter of a Prince. He also personally inscribed three plaques, namely "Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant," "Qianji Wanying Pavilion," and "Xinglong Escort Agency," and presented them to the merchants who had made great contributions during the war.
After the imperial edict was read, Wang Xiaoyao was overjoyed. She jumped three feet high on the spot, grabbed her sister's arm, and shook it repeatedly: "I'm a county princess now! Heavens! I actually have a title!"
Wang Pan'er felt dizzy from being shaken so vigorously. She held her head and said, "Calm down, calm down. You're making me dizzy."
"I can't calm down!" Wang Xiaoyao released Wang Pan'er and started spinning in circles to vent his overwhelming excitement. "No, I have to host a banquet! Quick, quick, call the guests!"
"Alright, alright!" Wang Pan'er was happy to go along with her sister's silliness. "There's a food shortage in Jinzhou Prefecture right now. Mu Chuan and I will go into the mountains to hunt some wild game. See you at the manor tonight. Call whoever you want."
Wang Xiaoyao hurriedly began searching for people, while Wang Pan'er followed Mu Chuan and led Taxue out of the stable.
Perhaps because they had already searched the mountains, they didn't see any large animals after entering the mountains, only some pheasants and rabbits, which they hung in the bags on their horses' rumps. However, based on her experience of digging and hunting in the mountains some time ago, Wang Pan'er found a lot of taro and yams, and also picked a lot of mustard greens and dandelions.
After packing everything up, Wang Pan'er counted the items. A simple post-battle family dinner would be just about enough to make do.
There was still some rice wine stored on the estate, and the atmosphere today was perfect for a little drink. After returning to the estate, Wang Pan'er directed the women who had already returned to work to open the jars, warm the wine, and cook dishes.
Even simple meals couldn't dampen the bustling activity in the village.
After a few rounds of drinks, Li Qingyan was slightly tipsy. He mustered his courage, staggered, and went to find Mu Chuan alone, holding his wine glass.
When Mu Chuan looked at him, he immediately drank the remaining wine in his cup in one gulp: "Thanks to the Prince's recommendation, I was able to become a student of Grand Scholar Lu and achieve good results in the autumn examination."
Mu Chuan patted him on the shoulder: "His Majesty is weak and lacks confidants, so he needs to cultivate his own faction. Now that I have found a talent, I will naturally recommend him to become His Majesty's assistant. With your background and qualifications, you should have been admitted to the Hanlin Academy and entered the power center of the Great Xia Dynasty. However, the restoration of Jinzhou Prefecture is of paramount importance at present. His Majesty has his reasons for sending you back. The land shapes its people. This shows his trust in you and his desire to train you. Do a good job, and your future will be limitless."
A light shone in Li Qingyan's eyes.
What student from a poor family wouldn't dream of making a name for himself in politics? He clasped his hands together, raised them to his forehead, and bowed deeply: "I am determined to dedicate myself to the Great Xia Dynasty."
The next day.
The new prefect of Jinzhou Prefecture has officially taken office.
Apart from Jinzhou Prefecture, the cities in the Jinzhou area were all devastated after the war.
The Emperor granted a general amnesty, exempting Jinzhou from taxes, hoping that the people could recover from the wounds left by the war as soon as possible.
The restoration work was also transferred from the Qianji Wanying Pavilion to the government office.
As Wang Xiaoyao's second teacher, Li Qingyan and Wang Xiaoyao were very familiar with each other, and the handover process went quite smoothly.
Wang Xiaoyao's restoration plan was very clear and reasonable, and in Li Qingyan's view, it could be used directly. He did not intend to spend any more effort on it and began to prepare for the first major event for the people after taking office—the memorial service for the compatriots who died in the war.
The sacrificial site was chosen in Da'an Town.
This small border town, located right next to Yanmen Pass, was completely destroyed in the war.
On the day of the sacrificial ceremony, Wang Pan'er, Wang Xiaoyao, and Mu Chuan returned to this land. Seeing the once bustling town reduced to ruins, they felt only desolation.
The damage caused by war can never be erased in a lifetime.
Wang Pan'er didn't want to add to her sorrow, so she dared not recall the good old days in Da'an Town. She turned her attention to the sacrificial ceremony, constantly telling herself not to worry anymore.
The person is gone, but those who are alive must always look forward.
The sacrificial ceremony was presided over by the abbot of Yanhua Temple.
The abbot set up an altar inside the Yanmen Pass. The monks, in accordance with the ritual, offered sacrificial animals, grains, and wine, and then recited sacrificial texts and scriptures.
During the event, officials from the prefecture and ordinary people who came to pay their respects took turns performing the rituals.
Mu Chuan went out at the crack of dawn and went into the mountains to pick a lot of wild chrysanthemums for Wang Pan'er, with a few spider lilies scattered among them.
When it was Wang Pan'er's turn, she took the bouquet from Mu Chuan, her eyes still reddening.
As a soul from another world, she couldn't be sure if people could be reborn after death. If there was an afterlife, she hoped that those who died in the war could live a peaceful and prosperous life.
After making her prayers, Wang Pan'er placed the bouquet in the center of the altar.
The officiant lit the fire, and all the tokens of mourning, along with the sacrificial texts and scriptures, turned to ashes in the thick smoke.
Meanwhile, in Jinzhou Prefecture, Su Lingya, the only direct descendant of the Su family, opened the ancestral hall to apologize on behalf of her father and younger brother.
His Majesty was merciful and spared the extermination of nine generations of their families; those within the clans who were not involved in the illegal ironworks were merely stripped of their property. However, the people were outraged, and apart from Su Lingya, who had made genuine contributions in the camp, everyone else was forbidden from entering the market.
The Su family enjoyed the benefits brought by the private ironworks. The government was established to relieve the people's worries. Li Qingyan felt that he had no position and was unwilling to get involved in the grievances between the people, so he let the Su family suffer the consequences and fall into Lehu City.
After Su Lingya opened the court to plead guilty, she could not bear to see her ancestors' century-old foundation come to an end. She handed over the contract and seal to Wang Xiaoyao, hoping that the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce could have a chance to continue.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaoyao was popular with the people and had the support of the Chiayi County Princess. She successfully took over the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce and secured her position as the president of the Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber of commerce had a lot of mediocre members, so Wang Xiaoyao cleaned up the membership list, set new membership standards, and then sent her invitations to many shops that had contributed to the refugee camp.
After the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce underwent a transformation, Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant became a core initial member. With the support of the people, it hung up a plaque personally inscribed by the Emperor and reopened.
Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant is still the same Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant. The menu and the staff are the same. The only change is that the doctor sitting on the side of the gate has a new face.
Dr. Tao, deeply loved by the people, led his apprentices to the front lines, where they accumulated a wealth of experience. Some of his apprentices were already capable of practicing medicine independently. In particular, after Wang Chengxi spoke up, he was regarded by Tao Shuo as a potential successor to her mantle.
She has now completely retired from the front lines, devoting herself to the study of gynecology and teaching, with her disciples taking turns working at the Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant.
At this point, everyone's lives returned to normal, and Jinzhou Prefecture City, under Li Qingyan's planning, resumed its previous operations.
Mu Chuan packed his bags; he had to return to the capital.
He had his responsibilities and missions to bear. After accompanying Wang Pan'er through the most difficult time, he no longer allowed himself to indulge in romantic feelings and linger in Jinzhou Prefecture.
This time, Wang Pan'er did not plan to return to Beijing with him.
After careful consideration, Wang Pan'er realized that she was still not ready to adapt to the life of a noble lady in the capital.
She may appear easygoing, but deep down, she, like Mu Lan, yearns for freedom and liberation. The power dynamics in the capital are deeply entrenched, and with her current strength, she cannot fully utilize her abilities.
Under the protection of the eldest princess, she could live a leisurely and comfortable life, but having her own career and experiencing the taste of having absolute power in her own field, such a life inevitably brought an unpleasant sense of constraint.
Wang Pan'er made up her mind to live at her own pace. She wanted to travel and enjoy the scenery while opening branches of the Shanhe Medicinal Cuisine Restaurant all over the Great Xia Dynasty, eventually reaching the capital and taking root there.
Only then can she stand firmly at the foot of the capital in a completely comfortable state.
Moreover, she already had the status of a princess consort and the endorsement of the princess's mansion, plus the inexhaustible wealth of Tianchengyuan Money Shop. Her intuition told her that this day was not far off.
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