An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

In the thirty-second year of the Daqing reign, the emperor granted special permission to build two three-story libraries at the highest points of the Imperial Examination Hall and the most prestigious Wenhua Academy in the capital. It is said that after their completion, all the books in the libraries were collected and donated by the Crown Prince and his soon-to-be Crown Princess, Princess Anping.

The library of the Imperial Examination Hall was named "Xiaohan Pavilion".

"Xiaohan" refers to the high sky and the Milky Way, symbolizing a towering building like the Wangjiang Tower, piercing the clouds; it also metaphorically represents a vast collection of books, like the Milky Way, containing all the knowledge in the world.

"Xiaohan" also means "the road to heaven", which is close to the aspiration of the imperial examination and the success of the students.

The attic houses a vast collection of precious books from various dynasties, providing a comprehensive resource for officials and scholars to study. It serves as a "heavenly stairway" leading to the pinnacle of officialdom and scholarship.

However, this building was heavily guarded, and only officials of the imperial court and candidates who came to the capital for the imperial examinations were allowed to read it based on their status.

The Wenhua Academy Reading Area, on the other hand, is more approachable and is named "Jinsi Academy".

From the Analects of Confucius, "Zi Zhang": "To study extensively and be resolute in one's will, to inquire earnestly and to reflect closely, therein lies benevolence."

"Reflecting on the Present" emphasizes that students should focus on the present, think diligently, and study in a down-to-earth manner.

This academy is open to ordinary students and the general public, encouraging reading, commenting on books, and purchasing books, with the aim of popularizing knowledge and cultivating critical thinking.

Adjacent to the "Wenhua Academy," one is elegant and the other is popular, one refined and the other common, complementing each other perfectly; "Jinsi" also implies "being close to Wenhua and connecting with the past."

One pavilion and one courtyard, one grand and elegant and the other approachable, together build the cultural heritage of Daqing and also win praise for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

At the end of the thirty-second year of the Daqing era, the celestial observations by the Imperial Observatory confirmed that the blazing sun had been hanging in the sky for a long time, with not a single cloud in sight. The Central Plains and areas to the north suffered a severe drought, with not a single drop of snow falling even in winter. The land was cracked like a tortoise shell, and the riverbeds were exposed like white bones. This drought continued into the following year without any sign of relief.

Although the imperial court's disaster relief grain arrived in time, and cartloads of grain were transported day and night along the official road, and the people were resettled and moved to places near water sources, temporary houses were built for miles, and wisps of smoke rose from the chimneys, so there were no problems with their lives. However, there was no spring planting and no autumn harvest, and the fields were devoid of any greenery. The people looked at the cracked earth with worried faces and sighed deeply.

Court officials from top to bottom also complained bitterly, arguing endlessly in the court every day, fearing that such disasters would really last for three to five years.

Starting in mid-June of the thirty-third year of the Daqing reign, six southern prefectures experienced continuous torrential rain and strong winds. Large raindrops pounded against the eaves, causing widespread flooding and turning the streets into muddy rivers.

Fortunately, because of the advance warning, the government urged the harvest to be carried out in a timely manner. The officials went from house to house banging gongs to urge the harvest. The people were properly resettled and there were basically no casualties. They also managed to salvage most of the grain from the fields. The golden rice filled the granaries, and the planting and breeding efforts were not in vain.

Therefore, the government's prepared disaster relief grain was not distributed, and the people were not yet starving. However, if this continued, the endless rain outside the window would inevitably cause panic and anxiety, and rumors were already beginning to circulate among the people.

October 17th was Jing Chunxi's sixteenth birthday, and also her wedding day with Xu Zize.

Previously, due to the great disaster, Jing Chunxi had already discussed with his elders and paced back and forth in the flower hall for a long time. He originally intended to submit a memorial in the name of the Prince Jing's Mansion, proposing to hold the Eastern Palace wedding ceremony after the disaster. However, Xu Zize was unwilling to wait.

He had been waiting for this day to marry his daughter for far too long; he would go crazy if he waited any longer. He insisted on getting married this year, when Jing Chunxi turned sixteen, and his persistence was so strong that even Jing Chunxi couldn't bear it.

In fact, Xu Zize was personally present at the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's selection of the date, standing in front of the star chart and carefully examining it, urging the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, "Sir, you only need to calculate whether October 17th is a suitable day?"

The Imperial Observatory looked up in surprise at the Emperor.

"Let's do it the way the Crown Prince wants!" Emperor Yanwu nodded helplessly, stroking his beard as he paced around the hall. He wanted to grant his wish, since his son had suffered too much and it was rare to find someone he cared about, someone whom he and the Empress both liked.

"October 17th, a very auspicious day!" The Imperial Astronomical Bureau examined the stars and consulted several books to confirm, then turned back to the Emperor with delight and said, "Opening the floodgates to release water for disaster relief on that day is also the most suitable."

"It seems that Chunxi is indeed a lucky star for our Great Qing Dynasty! The wedding day will be turned around because of this."

The Emperor stroked his beard, looking at the Crown Prince with a kind expression and a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. "The day will be set. The Crown Prince will marry his new bride. But—" He paused deliberately, startling Xu Zize, who quickly looked up.

"On the day the last gate opens, I will personally attend the ceremony. Would you like to come with me, my son?" The tone was clearly teasing, with a hint of mockery in his eyes and a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

"I've been watching the canal construction for three years now, and I'm already tired of it. Father, please take Mother, my younger brother, and my younger sister with you!" Xu Zize refused decisively.

It's a joke. Opening the floodgates is important, but on that day he only wanted to marry his Xi'er and didn't want to be apart from her for even a moment.

"You little rascal~ Well~ It's fine for your father to be absent, but there's no reason for the Crown Princess to be married without her family present. Your mother will stay to preside over the wedding. Tell the Crown Princess that I will make it up to her when we return."

"Then I must accept this compensation on behalf of the Crown Princess." Xu Zize seized the opportunity, his eyes darting around as he thought about how to get benefits for his newlywed wife. He had already planned to ask for a favor for her.

When Xu Zize revealed what he wanted, Emperor Yan Wu was taken aback, then laughed and scolded, tapping the table lightly with his finger, "You're not even married yet, and you're already siding with outsiders."

Due to the great disaster, Jing Chunxi took the initiative to simplify the wedding arrangements. Even the betrothal gifts that the palace planned to bring over, those sandalwood boxes tied with red silk, were put into the storeroom.

The more than 100 sets of dowry prepared by her maternal grandparents, paternal grandparents, and parents, including the brocade quilts embroidered with gold thread and the heavy jewelry boxes, were not taken out to show off on the wedding day.

There was no grand wedding procession, but Xu Zize rode a tall horse with a large red embroidered ball tied to the saddle. Princess Anyang, the second prince, and the third prince came to the door together, and a group of more than ten people carried a sedan chair to welcome him. The sedan chair curtain was embroidered with exquisite mandarin ducks playing in the water. There were also many sisters who came to see him off, carrying flower baskets and scattering flower petals along the way. It was quite a sight.

Inside the East Palace, the red veil was lifted, and gazing at the beautiful face before him, only Xu Zize felt guilty. "Xi'er, I haven't kept my promise to Brother Xiaokang. After these years of great calamity, I will once again bring you back with a grand wedding procession."

The young woman beneath the veil was alluring, her eyes sparkling with spring-like beauty, captivating all who beheld her. Her voice was full of laughter: "I won't do that. People will think I'm remarrying. By then, the child will probably be born already. It's better to hold the 100-day celebration at my parents' home."

"Why not? I'll personally visit with my wife and children, and we'll definitely have dozens of tables." As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Zize couldn't wait to push the woman he had been longing for onto the wedding bed covered with a bright red brocade quilt. "For that day, Brother Xiaokang, you'd better work hard, or you might not make it in time."

The curtains trembled slightly, the red candles flickered, and the candle wax dripped slowly onto the candlesticks. A row of lanterns under the eaves swayed in the night wind, their flickering light and shadows never ceasing all night.