I rely on infrastructure systems to build a prosperous village

After Liu Chun arranged for Li Lan and his group, he hurried back to the palace. He wanted to tell His Majesty about meeting His Highness and make him happy.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

Emperor Huide looked up at Liu Chun's voice, quickly stood up, walked around the dragon table, and asked in a deep voice, "How is it? Did you see anyone?"

Liu Chun said happily, "Your Majesty, I have seen him. I have seen His Highness. It is really as Long Yi said. He looks exactly like the Duke when he was young. Both are gentle and handsome. Moreover, His Highness did not panic when he saw me."

"Well, that's how my son should be. Besides Renshan, who else came with us?"

"Your Majesty, Madam, the Third Master has also come to Bianjing."

Emperor Huide raised his eyebrows, pondered for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "When the Queen comes to have dinner later, I will ask her whether she should send someone to the palace to check on the old lady."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Liu Chun looked up and bowed his head. After a moment, as if remembering something, he continued, "Your Majesty, when I left, Mr. Zhou's wife, Yang, was also with the Xiangjun. She was acting very aggressive and said..."

Emperor Huide suddenly looked at him, then sneered and ordered in a deep voice, "Go and tell Zhou Hanmin about this. Then tell him: I have taken Renshan away. Yang, as the wife of a minister, is not only lacking in moral character, but also bullies others by taking advantage of her power. Such women must be properly disciplined and must not cause trouble or offend those they shouldn't."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will go right away."

Zhou House.

Zhou Hanmin walked into the inner courtyard angrily and headed towards Yang's courtyard.

"Master." The old woman saluted hurriedly. Seeing that his face was gloomy, she wanted to send someone to inform Yang, but Zhou Hanmin gave her a cold look and frightened her so much that she dared not move.

At this time, Yang, who was half lying on the chaise longue in the room, was scolding Li Lan and his group with the maid beside her.

"Oh, I thought she was just a country girl, but I didn't expect her to have the support of His Majesty. Now it's impossible to drive her out of Bianjing."

"Madam, if that's the case, wouldn't it be even better? With His Majesty's support, the eldest son's career will be better in the future."

Yang rolled her eyes and said sternly, "What do you know? The better the rebellious son is, how can I control him in the future? Besides, if he marries a wife like that, how can I, Jun'er, ever dominate him in the future?"

"But……"

The maidservant beside her frowned upon hearing this, and tried to offer some counsel, but was frightened off by Yang's sharp gaze. She couldn't help but sigh, "Alas, this eldest son is truly pitiful. He's clearly Madam's son, so why is he so disliked by Madam?" "I hope Madam won't regret this later."

At this time, a cold male voice was heard.

"Really? Then why do you think those ladies flatter you when you go out now?"

Yang was startled, and immediately stood up from the couch, adjusted the gold hairpin in her hair, and said with a smile: "The master is here. What are you talking about? Everything in our mansion was given by the master."

"Oh, really?" Zhou Hanmin glanced at her pretentious look, his eyes darkened, and he waved his hand to let the maid in the room leave.

Suddenly, there was a loud "bang" and Yang fell onto the couch with a scream. One side of her cheek swelled up rapidly. Covering her cheek, Yang turned back and glared at Zhou Hanmin with tears on her face.

"Master, you hit me? Did I say something wrong to make you so angry? I've been running the Zhou Mansion day and night for years, bearing children for you. Now that you're at the peak of your career, you're actually hitting me."

Zhou Hanmin took a deep breath and looked at her with cold eyes.

"Why? Did my Zhou family let you down? Didn't I let you wear silk and satin every day? Didn't I let you eat the best delicacies from the land and the sea? Why did I hit you? I hit you because you are as stupid as a pig. You don't treat your own children well and you are unworthy of being a mother."

Yang paused and said angrily in her heart: She knew it was because of that rebellious son again.

"What? You're not talking anymore? I'm here to tell you, how did your glory, the glory of the Zhou Mansion, come about? That was earned for you, for the Zhou Mansion, by that so-called unfilial son you mentioned, risking his life to death.

Since you dislike Huai'an so much, I will separate him after Huai'an gets married. I will let you and your second son take good care of this Zhou Mansion and see if there is anyone who will support you when you leave in the future."

After hearing this, Yang was delighted, her eyes twinkling, and she pretended to be sad and choked up, saying, "Master, my second son will definitely make the Zhou Mansion better and better in the future."

Seeing that she had no intention of repenting, Zhou Hanmin sneered and sighed in his heart: Stupid woman, stupid woman, why did I marry such a stupid woman in the first place?

Then he said, "Ms. Yang, His Majesty asked me to tell you that since you have a flawed moral character, you should study etiquette and moral conduct at home for the next few days. Tomorrow, the Empress will send a nanny to teach you. As for when you will learn well, the Empress has the final say."

After saying that, he walked away.

"what?"

Watching Zhou Hanmin walk away, Yang suddenly felt a surge of anxiety. She knew that the Queen and His Majesty were just trying to vent their anger on that girl. Thinking of this, she felt deflated and lay down on the couch.

The next morning, Madam Li, the Queen's attendant, left the palace with the Queen's order and went to Li Lan's place. Not long after, Wang Pozi changed clothes with Li Lan and followed Madam Li back into the palace.

"Your humble servant pays homage to Her Majesty the Queen. May Your Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

"I, an old woman, pay my respects to Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

Seeing this, Chu Ci quickly asked Nanny Li to help them up and said softly, "Please get up quickly."

The two stood up and looked at the woman sitting at the head of the table. She was wearing a palace dress and a phoenix hairpin. She had a heroic look between her eyebrows and a smile on her face. She was dignified and beautiful. Looking closely, she really did bear some resemblance to Fourth Uncle/Si'er.

"Old sister, I really have to thank you. Without you, my Rui'er might not be alive today."

"My Queen, please don't say that. This is also old... No, it's the fate between Your Highness and my old man. Back then, if it weren't for Your Highness's crying, my old man probably wouldn't have been able to get out of the deep mountains. So, it was Your Highness who saved my old man's life."

Seeing that Wang Po looked sincere and didn't seem to be pretending, Chu Ci nodded in satisfaction. Then, with a smile on his face, he said softly, "Is this the lady from the village? She's really good-looking. Her eyes are so lively and bright."

……

The few of them chatted idly. At this moment, Liu Chun arrived, saying that His Majesty had invited Xiangjun to the Zhonghe Hall. Chu Ci knew that Emperor Huide and Li Lan must have something to say, so she said, "Madam Li, go to my private storehouse and pick out some gifts, then personally escort my elder sister out of the palace."

"Yes, ma'am."

Li Lan bowed to Chu Ci with gratitude in his eyes.

"I would like to express my gratitude to the Queen."

……

Liu Chun and Li Lan chatted and laughed all the way, and soon they arrived at the Zhonghe Hall. Li Lan stepped into the hall and looked at the person sitting in the hall. He couldn't help but tremble in his heart, thinking: What a strong aura.

"Your Majesty, your humble servant, long live Your Majesty."

"Renshan, please stand up quickly. Liu Chun, please take a seat."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Renshan, years ago, Zhou Qing returned to Bianjing and shared with me many ideas about running a bookstore. I thought they were great, so I let him go ahead and do it. Unexpectedly, in just a few months, the bookstores' revenue has increased several times over before. They've made a lot of money just from the franchise fees."

"Your Majesty is truly wise. If it weren't for Your Majesty, even if this subject's method was the best, it wouldn't necessarily have been implemented."

Emperor Huide looked at the woman who was calm and composed in the face of His Highness, and his eyes were full of admiration.

"Renshan, then can you please take a look at some good ways to repair roads in various places after this year?"

Li Lan's eyes flickered as he thought, "This emperor is going to dig his brain out." He couldn't help but ask, "If I say too much, will he ask me where my master came from?"

Seeing her frowning in thought, Emperor Huide couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Renshan, just speak frankly. I just want to hear your thoughts."

As soon as the voice fell, Li Lan did not dare to make any more moves and hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I heard a traveling Taoist say that if you want to get rich, you must first build roads. Building roads has always been a major undertaking that costs the people a lot of money and labor, so I suggest starting from Bianjing and try it first.

As for the cost of road construction, Your Majesty can try this fundraising method: if a private individual donates 200 taels of silver or more, their name can be inscribed on this donation monument."

Emperor Huide's eyes lit up and he laughed heartily, "This is a very good idea. Quick, tell me the details."

……

In this way, Li Lan stayed in the palace until he had dinner with Emperor Huide, and was then reluctantly let out of the palace by Emperor Huide.

Fengyi Hall.

"My Lady, I think His Highness seems to be interested in Xiangjun."

Chu Ci, who was originally dozing on the couch, suddenly opened his eyes.

"what for?"

"It was this morning, when I went there, I saw His Highness looking at Xiangjun with eyes full of tenderness."

Seeing the worry in Li Ma's eyes, Chu Ci frowned and said after a while, "Is Renshan engaged?"

"According to Nanny Song, she and Master Zhou were engaged years ago. His Majesty also said that he would grant them a marriage."

Hearing this, Chu Ci sighed, stood up, thought for a long time, his eyes darkened, and said in a cold voice: "If Rui'er really likes it, then I will go to His Majesty and ask for him soon."

When Matron Li heard this, she shuddered, her eyes filled with disbelief. She quickly said, "But Madam, you are like this..."

Chu Ci raised his hand, signaling her not to say anything more. Nanny Li sighed softly and quietly retreated.