The anti-Qing movement began with the looting of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

"It only cost a few dollars!" Xiang Peng scoffed. His older brother was just terrified of being poor.

We now have 20 mu of land, I work a regular job, and my eldest son drives for the police station. Our combined monthly expenses are about 200 taels of silver. I also receive 500 taels of silver in disability allowance each month, making us the wealthiest family in the village.

"Here you go!" Xiang Peng handed the candied hawthorn to his nephew and casually patted his round little head.

"Pengzi, you're back!" Xiang's mother stood in the doorway, wiping her hands on the table with her apron. She looked at the two brothers with a broad smile.

The Xiang family is living a very good life now. They own twenty acres of excellent irrigated land. Every month, the brothers bring home more than ten taels of silver.

Especially after the youngest son became the director, everyone in the surrounding villages looked up to them.

"Hmm! Mother, where's my father?" Xiang Peng walked over with a basket in his hand.

"He's still in the field! The autumn harvest is just around the corner, and he stays in our wheat field every day."

Since owning his own land, Father Xiang has had boundless energy. Now that the wheat is almost ripe, he wishes he could stay by the field day and night, preventing the birds from stealing a single grain.

"I bought some meat, you guys can stir-fry it, and I also bought some braised dishes, perfect for Dad to have with his drinks!"

"You! You never know how to save money, you're always so extravagant!" Mom complained as she reached out to take the basket.

"Mom, money is meant to be spent. Otherwise, what's the point of us earning it? There are still a few big bones left; stew them this afternoon. It'll help Xiaohua and my sister-in-law recover." Xiang Peng shook his head and smiled.

His wife and sister-in-law are both pregnant! They were too poor before, so they didn't dare to have any more children, but things are different now.

After the family had a hearty lunch, Xiang Peng told them about his upcoming transfer to the provincial capital.

"Great! You've been promoted, haven't you?" Xiang's father slapped his thigh, and everyone else also looked delighted. Only Xiang Peng's wife, Liu Hua, showed a hint of worry.

"Hmm! My level should go up one or two levels!" Xiang Peng nodded.

The family was overjoyed upon hearing this. Being a station chief was already a great honor in the local area; to become an official in the provincial capital would be even more impressive.

"What's wrong? Are you unhappy?" Xiang Peng asked, embracing his wife, whose belly was already quite large, as they returned to their room.

“In Yanghe, you can go home every few days. But if you go to the provincial capital, it might be difficult to go home for a year or two!” Liu Hua said in a low voice.

"Yes! The provincial capital is hundreds of miles away, so it's probably very difficult to find time to go home."

"It's alright, once I've settled in, I'll bring you and the baby to the provincial capital after you give birth!" Xiang Peng said, stroking his wife's belly.

"My lord, I've heard that officials often take several concubines after they become officials. I'm so heavily pregnant now that I can't serve you. If you see someone suitable in the provincial capital, you can take one to serve you!"

"Nonsense! So that's why you were so down! You were thinking about this!" Xiang Peng couldn't help but reach out and pinch his wife's cheek.

"Don't worry! Your husband only has one leg left, he doesn't have that many frivolous thoughts!"

"From then on, the emperor no longer held morning court" is a line from the long narrative poem "Song of Everlasting Regret" by the Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi. The poem vividly recounts the tragic love story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei. Related information is as follows:

-Excerpt from the original text: "Her cloud-like hair, flower-like face, and golden hairpins swayed; in the warm hibiscus-scented tent, she spent the spring night. The spring night was too short, and she rose late; from then on, the emperor no longer held morning court."

The poem means: The spring night is so beautiful, but it's too short, so I simply sleep until the sun is high in the sky. From then on, the king never attended the morning court session again.

-Poetic Analysis: The line "The spring night is too short" vividly portrays the intense passion between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. Meanwhile, "From then on, the emperor neglected his duties due to his infatuation with Yang Guifei" foreshadows the later events, such as the An Lushan Rebellion. It reflects how Emperor Xuanzong's obsession with Yang Guifei led him to neglect state affairs, hinting at the impact of this love affair on Tang Dynasty politics and revealing the root of the tragedy. At the same time, these two lines also indirectly showcase Yang Guifei's beauty and charm, as well as Emperor Xuanzong's extreme favor towards her.