On the wedding day, my wife was abnormal

"Xiao Hanzhou," Murong Yan began, her voice filled with the gentleness and expectation of an emperor. "I have read your essay. It is excellent, with lofty intentions, pertinent to current issues, and brilliant literary talent. Even more remarkable is its profound vision and concern for the people. I am deeply pleased. According to Daqian law, the newly crowned top scholar shall be appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, serving in the central government and assisting in confidential matters. However, I remember that you have the desire to innovate, so I would like to send you to a prosperous place, as a prefectural magistrate, to gain practical experience. What do you think?"

This is a great blessing from heaven!

The Hanlin Academy was a noble institution, a rank that meant a candidate for prime minister; being sent out as a magistrate held real power, which was also the beginning of a frontier regime.

No matter which path you take, it is the road to success that countless scholars dream of!

However, Xiao Hanzhou did not immediately thank God for his grace.

He bowed again, his voice still calm, yet with an unquestionable firmness:

"Your Majesty, I am deeply grateful for your grace! However, I dare to ask Your Majesty to revoke your order!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of the chief eunuch and the Minister of Rites standing beside them changed slightly!

Rejecting Holy Grace?!

This new number one scholar... is so brave!

Murong Yan narrowed her eyes slightly, not in anger, but with a hint of inquiry: "Oh? Take back your order? Why? Are you unwilling to be an official?"

"No!" Xiao Hanzhou immediately shook his head, his voice resounding. "After ten years of studying, what I seek isn't a high official position with generous salaries, but rather a practical application to support the country! However, I know that despite my limited talent, it's easy to talk about it on paper, but it's difficult to put it into practice! The key to the court and local government cannot be easily managed with just a few brilliant articles!"

He took a deep breath, his eyes flashing with a fiery light:

"I have heard that His Highness the Crown Prince is a scholar of unconventional scholarship! His Royal Academy, under his command, gathers the world's most talented scholars. The knowledge they teach extends beyond the classics, history, and miscellaneous texts, and also encompasses practical sciences such as the study of things, agriculture, water conservancy, commerce, economics, astronomy, and geography. I long to learn from them! I beg Your Majesty to grant me temporary leave from officialdom, to follow His Highness and devote myself to further study. When I have achieved academic success, possessed a broad mind, and possessed sound strategies, I will serve Your Majesty and the court! This is my sincere advice, and I hope Your Majesty will understand!"

There was silence in the hall.

Murong Yan looked at the young man with a burning gaze and a neither humble nor arrogant attitude at the bottom of the stairs, and her heart was in turmoil.

He refused the bright future that was within his reach and was willing to give up the halo of being the top scholar to follow Lin Zhen to study.

This clear self-awareness, this pragmatic attitude without seeking false fame, and this enterprising thirst for knowledge not only surprised her, but also gave rise to a strong sense of appreciation and recognition!

Isn't this exactly the "new type of talent" that my husband and I have always wanted to cultivate and change?!

"Good!" Murong Yan slammed the imperial desk, a sincere smile blooming on her face. That smile was like the morning sun breaking through the clouds, bright and full of power. "What a great way to apply your knowledge to the world and devote yourself to further study!"

She stood up, her voice filled with unquestionable determination:

"Approved! Effective immediately, he is dismissed from his position as editor in the Hanlin Academy! The Ministry of Rites shall immediately beat drums and gongs to announce to the world the arrival of the new number one scholar! At the same time, prepare carriages and ceremonial guards to escort the number one scholar to the palace! Hand him over to the care of Crown Prince Lin Zhen for his careful instruction!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace! Your Majesty is wise!" His eyes burst with great surprise and gratitude, and he bowed deeply.

At the same time, in the palace, in the side hall of Chengyun Hall.

The atmosphere here is completely different from the solemnity of the Purple Palace, with a deep sense of exploration.

On the huge rosewood desk, there were no official documents or memorials, but a huge map was spread out.

This map was drawn rather crudely, with immature brushwork; the directions of mountains and rivers, and the locations of cities and passes were all blurred, and the proportions were also out of balance.

The mountains in the picture are outlined with simple ink lines, and the rivers are like randomly splashed ink, winding and twisting.

The locations of the cities were even more ambiguous, and the whole map had the awkward feeling of an amateur's forced creation.

Above the picture, two large characters were written in slightly neat regular script: "Yangzhou".

Lin Zhen stood with his back to the door, his hands behind his back, his eyes like a hawk, scanning the abstract map of Yangzhou inch by inch.

His brows were slightly furrowed, as if he was trying to discern the true geographical context from the chaotic lines.

Below the desk, in a rosewood armchair, sat an official in his forties, wearing a green fifth-rank white pheasant patched robe.

He was the governor of Yangzhou - Sun Wenqian.

At this moment, Governor Sun did not have the composure of a senior official at all.

He sat stiffly on the edge of his chair, only half his buttocks touching the seat, his back straight as a fully drawn bowstring. His hands rested neatly on his knees, his palms already drenched with sweat.

Fine beads of sweat oozed out of his forehead and slid down his temples, but he didn't dare raise his hand to wipe them away.

With eyes filled with seven parts awe and three parts fear, he cautiously looked at Lin Zhen's tall and oppressive back, not even daring to breathe.

"...Prince." Sun Wenqian's voice was clearly tense and dry. He cleared his throat, trying to make his report sound clear and steady. "This humble official can guarantee with his life! The existence of Xirang is absolutely true and not a fabrication of this humble official! It is located in Yangzhou Prefecture, outside the mouth of the Yangtze River!"

Seeing that Lin Zhen didn't react, but his back remained solemn, he quickly emphasized his tone, his voice filled with the excitement of witnessing a miracle and the urgency of proving it:

"This is known to everyone in Yangzhou! It's no lie! Even I couldn't believe it when I first heard it! To obtain concrete evidence, I didn't hesitate. I personally led yamen runners and craftsmen, carrying measuring tape and rulers, to the island twice last spring and autumn to conduct a thorough survey!"

Sun Wenqian's voice rose slightly due to excitement:

"The result astounded me! That sandbar is actually growing! And at an astonishing rate!" He held up two fingers, gesturing. "During the previous dynasty... uh... when Chu Batian usurped the throne, according to the remaining archives in the prefecture, the portion of the sandbar that emerged from the water was only a mere ten feet in radius! It was completely desolate, with virtually no human habitation!"

He suddenly spread his fingers, his voice filled with shock:

"But now, I've had people measure it clearly. It's over thirty feet wide from east to west, and nearly fifty feet long from north to south. It's expanded several times over, Your Highness! I saw this with my own eyes and personally supervised the measurement. There's absolutely no falsehood!"

Fearing Lin Zhen wouldn't believe him, he added, "Fishermen have already built shacks on the island, reclaimed the mudflats, and planted salt-tolerant crops... They've lived here for decades, and they all say this island was carried by a divine tortoise and fertilized with fertile soil! It's a blessed land bestowed by Heaven upon the people of Yangzhou!"

Lin Zhen still had his back to him and did not move.

But Sun Wenqian could feel that his gaze, which was originally just examining the map, seemed to have become sharper and more focused, as if he wanted to penetrate the rough drawing and see the whole picture of the sandbar that was constantly silting up and expanding at the mouth of the Yangtze River.