Since Lin Wanwan used the trick of "borrowing flowers to present to Buddha" to defuse the Regent's "gift" controversy, the entire court and the harem have ushered in a rare period of peace.
Since that day, Regent Xiao Yuan has claimed illness and stayed home, seemingly genuinely angered. His faction of officials also became much more restrained, no longer constantly clashing with the Emperor. The Empress Dowager, on the other hand, seemed to acquiesce to the temporary defeat, only receiving the Empress's morning and evening greetings and listening to her reports on trivial palace affairs, without making any further trouble.
In the imperial court, the "KpI assessment method" proposed by Lin Wanwan was being piloted on a small scale in the Ministry of Personnel and the Ministry of Revenue. Although some veteran officials outwardly complied but inwardly resisted, it was proceeding in an orderly manner with the strong support of Xiao Che and the efforts of several young and capable officials.
Everything seemed to be moving in a positive direction.
Lin Wanwan was happy to have some free time. Apart from going to the Empress Dowager's place every day, she spent the rest of her time "attending classes" with Xiao Che. Their "classes" were no longer limited to Kunning Palace or the Imperial Study. Sometimes they were in the pavilion in the Imperial Garden, and sometimes they were on the dragon boat on Taiye Pond. Their days were fulfilling and sweet.
That afternoon, the weather was clear and sunny with a gentle breeze, making it the best time of year in the capital.
After finishing his official duties, Xiao Che, unusually, did not drag Lin Wanwan to study the classics. Instead, he enthusiastically suggested, "The weather is fine today, accompany me somewhere."
"Are there any new teaching locations?" Lin Wanwan put down her pen and asked with a smile.
"We won't discuss state affairs today," Xiao Che said mysteriously, a hint of youthful interest and anticipation in his eyes that she had never seen before. "Let's just enjoy the scenery."
He naturally took her hand; her palm was warm and dry, conveying a reassuring strength. The two walked through palaces and around the solemn Hall of Supreme Harmony, finally ascending the highest point in the entire palace, and indeed the entire capital, under the protection of a troop of imperial guards—the Chengtian Gate.
This is the first time Lin Wanwan has stood here.
The wind was strong at this height, making her palace skirt flutter and her clothes billow. Leaning on the cool white marble railing, she gazed into the distance, where the bustling scene of the entire capital unfolded before her like a magnificent landscape painting.
Zhuque Avenue, like a central axis, stretches from the foot of the imperial city all the way to the distant city gate. The avenue is bustling with traffic and crowds, brimming with vitality. Shops line the east and west markets, and the banners of restaurants and teahouses flutter in the wind. The dazzling array of goods and merchants from all directions together create a moving "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" scene.
In the distance, the streets and alleys are lined with green tiles and wisps of smoke rising from chimneys, presenting a scene of peace and prosperity.
"So beautiful..." Lin Wanwan couldn't help but exclaim sincerely. The capital city she had seen before was mostly glimpsed from the windows of sedan chairs or from a corner of the palace walls. Never before had she felt the strength and prosperity of this empire so directly and so shockingly.
"Do you see that tallest building?" Xiao Che stood beside her, pointing out the buildings below. His voice was carried by the wind, yet it carried a complex emotion that was hard to describe. "That's the biggest den of iniquity in the capital—Drunken Immortal Pavilion. It's said that a single meal there can cost an ordinary family a year's worth of food."
“And over there, the largest and most impressive shop in the East Market,” he pointed in another direction, “is Jinxiuge, the largest silk shop in the capital. A single bolt of brocade there is worth a hundred taels of gold, and only royalty and nobility are qualified to step inside.”
"There's also the racetrack in the south of the city, the cricket fighting arena in the western suburbs... Every place there is a place where money is made every day, a place of extravagance and debauchery."
He pointed out the city's famous markets and buildings to her, recounting the capital's prosperity one by one. But for some reason, Lin Wanwan didn't hear the pride and arrogance of an emperor in his tone; instead, she sensed a deep heaviness and...sorrow that seemed out of place with the magnificent scene before her.
This is very unusual.
Given Xiao Che's increasingly cheerful personality, faced with such a magnificent scene, his expression, if not "Look! This is all the empire I conquered for you.gif," should at least be that of a smug little man laughing with his hands on his hips.
But now...
Lin Wanwan keenly noticed his unusual behavior. Without making a sound, she quietly shifted her gaze upwards and landed on the emoji area above his head.
The next second, her heart sank.
There, instead of the usual complaints or excitement, was an emoji she had never seen before, one that exuded a deep sadness.
It was a huge piggy bank made of pure gold and inlaid with gorgeous gemstones, looking magnificent and incredibly expensive.
However, beneath this glamorous exterior, a clearly visible, jagged crack reveals that the piggy bank is completely empty, with only a few pitiful copper coins rolling around inside.
This crack, like an ugly scar, stretches from top to bottom, as if the slightest touch would shatter this entire ornate shell into dust.
【A gorgeous empty shell.jpg】
This stark contrast, this silent sorrow, made Lin Wanwan's heart tighten instantly.
She immediately realized that beneath this prosperity she had witnessed, there must be a huge crisis hidden that she was unaware of! This seemingly powerful Liang Dynasty was far from being as glamorous as it appeared on the surface.
Did he bring her here today ostensibly to admire the magnificent scenery, but in reality... to show her the most authentic and vulnerable side of this empire?
“Your Majesty,” she began softly, asking tentatively, “you seem… troubled? Is there some problem in the court again?”
Xiao Che's body stiffened slightly. He slowly withdrew his hand, which had been pointing into the distance, and placed it behind his back, remaining silent for a moment. The wind ruffled the hem of his dragon robe, making his tall figure appear somewhat lonely.
"Difficult problems?" He chuckled lightly, a hint of self-mockery in his voice. "Difficult problems in the court have never ceased."
He didn't turn around, still gazing into the distance, and asked in a low voice, "What makes you say that? With the country prosperous and the people at peace, what worries could I possibly have?"
He's being stubborn.
Lin Wanwan looked at the cracked, hollow piggy bank above his head and felt a pang of pity.
She knew that some scars, as an emperor, he could not speak of to anyone. Those heavy burdens, he had always carried alone in silence. Even to her, the empress whom he already regarded as a "comrade-in-arms," he still habitually used imperial majesty to shield his most vulnerable parts.
She didn't press him further, but silently stood beside him, side by side, watching the city's prosperity with him, offering him silent support.
For a long, long time.
The wind on the city tower fluttered the sleeves of their clothes, creating a tranquil atmosphere tinged with an indescribable heaviness.
Just when Lin Wanwan thought he wouldn't say when, Xiao Che suddenly turned his head and stared at her with an extremely serious look that she had never seen before.
In those eyes, there was inquiry, struggle, exhaustion, and a desperate hope, like a drowning person searching for the last piece of driftwood.
He suddenly asked a question that seemed to have no beginning or end, yet contained an immense weight:
"Wanwan, if you were the mistress of this vast land..."
His voice paused, as if he had made a tremendous decision, and each word was spoken extremely slowly and heavily:
"...How much gold do you think I have in my treasury?"
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