A husband found in the village? I bought a regent for a penny!

Mu Nanzhao strode into the mansion, and the servants all stopped and stepped aside.

He Jinghui chased after him, saying, "Hey, it's just that we have guests over, what's the rush?"

His tone was serious and earnest, but he couldn't suppress the urge to smile.

Just because they could witness Mu Nanzhao getting his comeuppance again.

Why use the word "again"? Because it happened once last night.

After Mu Nanzhao took Gu Xixi away.

He Jinglan was restless and waited for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before running out to knock on the door.

The door opened quickly, and through the curtain in the inner room, one could see Gu Xixi lying on the bed fully clothed.

Without saying a word, He Jinglan bypassed Mu Nanzhao and went inside to check on Gu Xixi's condition.

At the same time, before Mu Nanzhao could even put his hand down from the door, he was punched in the face.

He looked over incredulously, "What's wrong with Anqing and you?!"

An Qinghe glared at Mu Nanzhao, his eyes blazing with anger, "I'm not crazy, I'm hitting you!"

He Jinghui gasped, savoring the moment with a mixture of amusement and emotion.

To think I'd witness Mu Nanzhao being humiliated in my lifetime! Will it rain blood tomorrow?!

For some reason, Mu Nanzhao seemed a little irritable. The man who was usually vengeful was actually just telling An Qinghe to get out of the way with a dark face.

He Jinghui composed himself, trying to suppress his amusement, and advised, "Brother An, what are you doing?"

"You see, everything's fine inside, there's nothing wrong with it."

An Qinghe was still glaring at Mu Nanzhao, his eyes bloodshot. "I know it's alright. If it weren't for your consideration of the bigger picture, I would have fought him to the death just now."

"I've been saving up this punch for a while now; I've wanted to hit him for ages anyway."

He Jinghui glanced at Mu Nanzhao's expression and said seriously, "Even if you say you want to hit him, you have to have a reason, right?"

Curious, curious! Tell me more about Mu Nanzhao's gossip!

At this moment, Mu Nanzhao glanced at He Jinghui, his eyes clearly indicating that he understood his "scheme".

He Jinghui touched his nose, looked away, and remained silent.

Mu Nanzhao said to An Qinghe, "Didn't you want to hit me? Let's find a place."

An Qing rolled up his sleeves and said, "Okay, let's go, right now!"

Seeing that the two were about to get serious, He Jinghui hesitated whether to try to persuade them again.

He wasn't just going along to watch the excitement; he mainly didn't want anyone to die.

After all, An Qinghe is a foreigner, and this involves diplomatic relations; the issue could be big or small...

Before He Jinghui could take a step, Mu Nanzhao turned back and said, "You stay."

"Let everyone here tonight know that it's better to forget things that shouldn't be remembered as soon as possible."

The two rivals left just like that, leaving He Jinghui to clean up the mess at Shihua Pavilion, keeping him busy for half the night.

Anqing returned in the middle, and he was alone.

He Jinghui saw that there were only some bruises on his face and was relieved that Mu Nanzhao, despite being jealous, still knew his limits when facing his rival. Even though he was overwhelmingly stronger, he didn't kill him.

This morning on the way to court, He Jinghui accidentally patted Mu Nanzhao on the shoulder and noticed that he frowned, as if he was in pain.

He Jinghui was shocked. "You were hit by him too?"

"Aside from the fact that you weren't on guard last night when he punched you, do you think he would have gotten the better of you?"

Mu Nanzhao remained expressionless, revealing neither his anger nor his demeanor. "No weapons were used; it was a friendly exchange of blows, with both sides gaining and losing points."

Direct hand-to-hand combat? He Jinghui felt his imagination was severely lacking; he simply couldn't picture what that scene would be like.

Let's return to the present moment.

In the reception room of the Regent's Palace, three uninvited guests were waiting for their host.

Since the guest was a woman, the manor only had servants. After serving tea and snacks, they retreated outside the door, ready to be summoned if needed.

Gu Xixi also noticed this phenomenon, but didn't have the mind to think about it.

At that moment, all she could think about were locusts and food.

Finally, they heard someone outside call out, "Your Highness."

Gu Xixi immediately stood up and turned towards the door. "You're back!"

Mu Nanzhao was stunned. He had never seen her eyes like that before—anxious, expectant, and even a little helpless.

Although the reason is still unknown, it is certain that she needs him at this moment!

A ripple of emotion stirred in Mu Nanzhao's heart; even his rock-solid resolve softened.

He tried to remain calm as he stepped over the threshold, saying, "You've come to see me, there must be something you need."

As he spoke, he walked to the head seat and sat down, speaking with an air of calm as if he had seen through everything.

"It's all because of that Miss Lü again, isn't it?"

"Although it's still a long way off before the Jingzhao Prefecture reopens, if you're in a hurry, I can..."

Gu Xixi hurriedly said, "No, that's not it. Although it's equally important, there's something more urgent right now."

He Jinghui then came in, panting, and asked, "What's more urgent? Oh right, didn't you go see the peach blossoms today? Why are you back so early?"

He looked at his younger sister questioningly.

He Jinglan pointed at Gu Xixi, "Brother, be quiet and listen to Xixi!"

Helpless, He Jinghui had no choice but to find a place to sit down.

Gu Xixi recounted in detail the discovery of locust eggs in Xianguo Village, including her own assessment.

Mu Nanzhao's expression turned serious.

Looking at He Jinghui again, his face was deathly pale, as if he had suddenly suffered a severe blow.

He Jinglan asked worriedly, "Brother, what's wrong?"

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After waiting for a while, He Jinghui finally raised his head and gave everyone a bitter smile.

"We were already struggling financially, and now we're hit by a locust plague, especially one that's happening in the area surrounding the capital."

"Ha ha……"

He laughed a few times, as if he had gone mad, "I, the newly appointed Minister of Revenue, will only serve for a few more months."

"The Minister of Revenue?" He Jinglan asked in surprise. "Brother, is it about today?"

He Jinghui nodded. "I think it's best to resign as soon as possible. It's better not to be an official than to have your whole family executed."

The Ministry of Revenue was in charge of finances, and national agriculture also fell under its jurisdiction.

Although locust plagues are a natural disaster.

But now the national treasury is already short of money and food.

If another locust plague were to occur, not only would it be impossible to replenish the government's grain reserves, but it would also cause famine among the people.

At that time, starving people from the surrounding areas will inevitably flock to the capital, triggering a series of chain reactions.

The crucial point is that the new emperor's throne is not yet secure.

If someone takes advantage of the situation to cause chaos, the national treasury's current funds and grain will hardly be able to withstand another war.

Mu Nanzhao glanced at Gu Xixi, and his expression relaxed. "Instead of thinking about resigning, Lord He should ask Boss Gu."

He Jinghui turned to Gu Xixi blankly, thought for a moment, and said, "I heard that Boss Gu studied under a reclusive divine doctor. You should know how to make me sick, but only in a serious way, so that I can be diagnosed by the imperial physician?"

Gu Xixi was taken aback, "Huh?"

An invisible crack appeared on Mu Nanzhao's calm face as he finally snapped, "I told you to ask for a solution, not to pretend to be sick!"

He Jinghui thought he had misheard. "Locust plague! If it could be solved, there wouldn't be so many records in history of crop failures and widespread famine."

"Besides, isn't Boss Gu a farmer? Don't make things difficult for her with this locust plague."

"Let me think of a way myself."

Gu Xixi frowned, puzzled, and asked, "Since Lord He believes there will be a locust plague, why is he unwilling to exterminate the locusts?"

"Eradicate locusts?" He Jinghui smiled bitterly. "Easier said than done."