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

While Yikuang and He Degang were deep in thought, a servant came in to report that a clerk from the Ministry of Personnel was requesting an audience.

Yikuang was annoyed! How dare a mere clerk bother him? He was about to order his servants to throw him out. Then he suddenly remembered that the clerk was from the Ministry of Personnel, so he decided to see him.

"This servant greets Your Highness!" Soon a middle-aged man walked in and immediately knelt on the ground upon seeing Yikuang.

"What is it? Speak quickly!" Yi Kuang said in a stern voice with a straight face.

"Your Highness, half an hour ago, Chief Eunuch Li from the palace came to the Ministry of Personnel to convey the Empress Dowager's oral decree. She said that Shen Lian, a candidate for the position of Circuit Intendant in Shandong, is a rare talent, and the Ministry of Personnel should fill the vacancy first!" the scribe hurriedly replied.

Yi Kuang and He Degang exchanged a glance. "Hahaha, this is truly heaven's help!" Yi Kuang burst into laughter. The scribe was completely bewildered.

"Good, good, good! The news you brought is very important. Go to the accounting office and collect your reward of one hundred taels of silver." Yi Kuang laughed and waved his hand.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" The scribe happily withdrew.

He never expected to earn a hundred taels of silver from just one trip today, equivalent to his entire year's salary. The clerk was overjoyed. If he visited a few more places, he might be able to buy a house, and then perhaps he could take a concubine?

The scribe excitedly took the reward money and hurried to the next prince's mansion.

"Your Highness, since there is the Empress Dowager's decree, there is absolutely no problem! Leave this matter to me! I guarantee I will handle it perfectly for Your Highness." After the clerk left, He Degang stood up and said excitedly.

"Alright! I'll leave it to you to do. Just in case, you need to be quick!" Yi Kuang patted his thigh in satisfaction.

"Thank you, Your Highness! I'll go take care of my business now."

"Yes! Go! Do your job well, and I will not treat you unfairly!"

"Someone come here!" Yi Kuang called out after He Degang left.

"Your Highness!" A servant walked in.

"Go and fetch the butler for me," Yi Kuang said in a deep voice.

"Greetings, Your Highness!" A moment later, an old man with half-white hair walked in.

"Defu, send someone to inquire about how Shen Lian, a candidate for the position, received the Empress Dowager's favor of filling a vacancy first."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

. . . . . .

Having nothing better to do, Shen Lian bought some gifts and visited the Nie residence again. Although Nie Gongting wasn't entirely pleased with Shen Lian's purchase of an official position, he knew it was a common practice in officialdom. Overall, he was quite satisfied with this son-in-law.

The old lady was even more pleased, knowing that Shen Lian had received the favor of being given a vacancy first. This good son-in-law was about to become a fourth-rank official—a fourth-rank official at the age of twenty! How prestigious that would be!

The couple didn't object to Shen Lian's request to take a walk alone with his daughter. After all, they were getting married at the end of the year, so seeing each other wouldn't hurt!

Walking with his beloved in the back garden, Shen Lian finally had the chance to take a closer look at his future wife.

She was about 1.6 meters tall, which was quite tall for that era. She had a graceful figure and the air of a well-bred young lady. Her beautiful oval face was fair and clean, without a single mole.

While she wasn't quite as stunningly beautiful as the Hong Kong beauty Xiaoqian, she wasn't far off. Shen Lian was already very satisfied. Given his current condition, even if she were as fat as a pig, he couldn't refuse.

Why are you staring at her feet like that? Are you regretting marrying a woman with big feet?

Just as Shen Lian was secretly rejoicing, a coquettish voice came from behind him. Shen Lian looked up and saw Nie Xiaoqian blushing and glaring at him.

"Ah! No, no! My sister, you've misunderstood!" Shen Lian quickly waved his hands. He now realized that in those days, women's feet couldn't be seen by men so easily. He had just been looking down at the road and hadn't noticed that Nie Xiaoqian's feet weren't bound.

"Hmph, you're just being hypocritical! Don't you men all like small feet?" Nie Xiaoqian turned her head to the side; she was very sensitive about her large feet.

“Those are other men, I’m different. I don’t like those women with bound feet; it’s not only cruel but also disgusting. It’s a form of cruelty to women! It makes it impossible for them to walk,” Shen Lian said earnestly.

"Really!" Nie Xiaoqian stared at Shen Lian in surprise.

“Of course! If I ever come to power, the first thing I will do is abolish this barbaric custom of foot binding.” Shen Lian nodded.

"Hmph, you're smart to know what's good for you!" Nie Xiaoqian waved her little fist.

Shen Lian then remembered that Nie Shuping had said his younger sister had loved martial arts since she was little, preferring weapons to makeup. "Could this girl have violent tendencies?" Shen Lian thought, feeling a little scared.

"Hmph, quite the boast! He's only just been appointed as a candidate for the position and he's already thinking about taking over all the power. He's so young and yet so ambitious."

"Younger sister, just you wait and see! This day won't be long," Shen Lian said confidently.

While Shen Lian was bickering with the beautiful woman at the Nie residence, five fast horses hurriedly left the capital and headed towards Shandong.

. . . . . .

At the Jinan Grand Parade Ground, a short, stocky man in full military uniform stood on the platform, looking down at the neatly arranged troops below, his face solemn. This man was none other than Yuan Xiangcheng, the Shandong Governor and a trusted minister of Empress Dowager Cixi.

"Whose food are you eating?" a loud voice suddenly rang out.

"Eat Lord Yuan's food!" the soldiers below shouted in response.

"Whose phone are you using?"

"Let's take the lead from Lord Yuan!"

"Whose orders should we take?"

"I will obey Lord Yuan's command!"

A barely perceptible smile appeared on the short, fat man's lips; "Make a sound!"

Soon, the soldiers went up one by one to sign and affix their fingerprints to receive their tokens, and the short, stout man personally handed the tokens to the soldiers. Sometimes he would pat the soldiers on the shoulder and offer a few words of encouragement.

The soldiers, their faces flushed with excitement as they received their silver coins, bowed and scraped before the fat man.

Just as they were busy with their work, an official rushed in. "Sir, someone from the Ministry of Personnel has arrived and is waiting at the yamen!"

"Who?" Yuan Xiangcheng asked, frowning. "Minister He Degang!"

Yuan Xiangcheng thought for a moment, then gave some instructions and followed the officials back to the governor's office.

"Oh, Lord He! Hahahaha! Lord He, you must be tired from your journey. I've been busy with military affairs. I've neglected you, I've neglected you!" Yuan Xiangcheng burst into laughter as soon as he entered the room and saw He Degang, warmly apologizing in a way that was very pleasant to hear.

"Lord Yuan is loyal and devoted to the country, a role model for us all. I was too hasty in coming!" Since he was being so kind, He Degang dared not be presumptuous.

"May I ask what brings you here, Lord He?" After exchanging pleasantries, Yuan Xiangcheng asked.

"Ahem! It's because His Highness hasn't seen you for a long time and misses you dearly. He also heard that things aren't going well for you here, so he sent me to check on you and help you resolve some troubles!"

Yikuang misses me? He probably just wants my money! Help me out of this mess? Does he really have that kind heart?

Yuan Xiangcheng, of course, wouldn't say these things aloud. He knew Yikuang better than anyone else what kind of person he was. The two had a pleasant working relationship!