After being reborn as a man, the woman improved her family's fortunes through education.

After saying goodbye to Xue Xu, Li Haisheng and Xue Xu each boarded their own carriages.

Sitting in the carriage, Li Haisheng still felt somewhat dazed.

How did I end up becoming a court attendant alongside Xue Xu?

His Majesty the Emperor could not possibly be unaware of his relationship with Xue Xu. Even if His Majesty the Emperor was unaware, those handling the affairs below him could not possibly be unaware.

By appointing two Hanlin scholars, both sons-in-law of the Jiang family, as Imperial Diarists, does the Emperor trust them or believe that the Jiang family has no ulterior motives?

It's no secret that the Chiang and Liu families are actually related by marriage.

The Liu family has a concubine in the inner palace, and this concubine has given birth to a prince, although the prince is not yet eight years old.

But His Majesty the Emperor is not yet forty years old. The longer His Majesty the Emperor reigns, the more advantageous it will be for the young princes.

Consort Liu's son was the ninth in line, not the youngest, but the most "suitable" in age.

If His Majesty reigns for another ten years, the Ninth Prince will be less than eighteen years old in ten years. Whether he is made Crown Prince or enters the court to observe politics, his age will be just right.

During the emperor's prime, a seven- or eight-year-old prince would not arouse the emperor's suspicion.

It can be said that they had the advantage of favorable timing, which is sometimes a hundred times more important than favorable human factors.

After all, "human factors" can be influenced by human intervention, while "favorable timing" depends on the arrangements of fate.

These princes could not decide when they were born, nor could they decide how many years the emperor would remain on the throne before deciding on the crown prince.

As Li Haisheng was deep in thought, the carriage stopped; they had arrived home.

Jiang Xiyue had already had dinner prepared, which she and Li Haisheng would eat together.

Li Haisheng's siblings only come to the main courtyard for meals on major holidays. This is an unspoken agreement among them, and they don't want to disturb their siblings' relationship.

Although they lived under the same roof, Jiang Xiyue was quite at ease and never had any unpleasantness with her husband's family.

Respect is mutual, and relationships need time to develop.

Jiang Xiyue also fulfilled her duties as a wife by finding jobs for Li Haisheng's two older brothers.

Her dowry included a small estate and several shops. She managed the shops herself, while her brothers-in-law were put in charge of the estate.

The fourth son, Li Yesheng, was still young, so after asking Li Haisheng's opinion, Jiang Xiyue hired a mathematics tutor to teach him.

She was thinking that in the future, the businesses under her husband Li Haisheng's name could be handed over to her fourth brother Li Yesheng for assistance in managing.

It was only through Jiang Xiyue's deliberate inquiry that it became clear that Li Chunhua and Li Qiuyue, the two girls, were very interested in embroidery, but had never had a teacher to instruct them before.

The capital city was not short of good embroiderers, so Jiang Xiyue hired an embroidery master for the two of them, and they learned for two or three hours every day.

The two sisters had something to do and were able to learn what they loved most, which made them feel fulfilled and happy.

In short, the five siblings were pleasantly surprised and grateful for Jiang Xiyue's arrangements, and they worked incredibly hard every day when doing chores and learning new things.

Li Haisheng was pleased with this, feeling that his wife's arrangement was excellent, as it would give his brothers something to do every day, making them better able to adapt to life in the capital.

At the dinner table, Li Haisheng informed Jiang Xiyue about his new appointment that day.

Jiang Xiyue frowned slightly upon hearing this. "Although Your Majesty's actions are incomprehensible, now that my husband is the Imperial Diarist, he must be even more cautious in the future."

What Jiang Xiyue didn't say was "serving the emperor is like serving a tiger." Although the position of Imperial Diarist was a coveted one, one had to be alive to hold it.

Li Haisheng nodded in agreement. He liked his wife's advice, even though he understood the principles himself. It felt especially good to have someone give him advice and to have someone worry about him.

In particular, this person was his wife, the person he loved most.

As soon as Jiang Xiyue saw her husband grinning foolishly, she knew what he was thinking. This guy was very good at studying, but his silly and goofy appearance had never changed.

The officialdom is so treacherous; it's really hard to feel completely at ease.

"Madam, has your father sent a letter?"

"Okay, let's eat first, then we'll watch it together later."

Jiang Xiyue and Li Haisheng shared the same thought, believing it to be just an ordinary letter from home to let everyone know they were safe.

After the meal, the two returned to the study to read the letters, where pen and ink were readily available, making it easy to reply directly.

A light sheet of paper was pulled out of the envelope by Jiang Xiyue and handed to Li Haisheng.

I was thinking of having Li Haisheng read it, but Li Haisheng took the letter and hesitated to speak.

"what happened?"

Seeing her husband quickly read the letter and his increasingly pale face, Jiang Xiyue couldn't help but feel worried.

Could it be that something happened to Dad? Did Grandfather also send a letter? Or were they the only ones who received it?

"What happened? Don't scare me!"

Li Haisheng remained silent, but Jiang Xiyue grew impatient and snatched the letter back, reading it quickly as well.

"What?! How is this possible? Father, what kind of joke are you talking about!"

As for the fourth or eighth prince, neither she nor her eldest sister, Jiang Xiwen, ever left the capital, and they never went out alone.

The eldest sister's chivalrous deeds were all things that happened before her marriage, and her trip to Yunqing Mountain with her mother and younger brother was also something that happened before her marriage.

Jiang Xiyue was absolutely certain that she could not possibly know any Fourth Prince; it was simply impossible.

A prince isn't some nobody; if you've actually seen him, how could you not have any impression of him?

As royalty, they would certainly not be out of place in appearance; how could I have no recollection of them?

But her father's earnest words made Jiang Xiyue feel uneasy.

Although my father is unreliable, he would never joke about a woman's reputation.

Jiang Xiyue glanced at Li Haisheng's expression; he seemed to have calmed down a bit.

"Ah Yue, don't be afraid. With me here, even the Heavenly King himself can't forcibly take a woman from the common people, let alone you, who is an official's wife. They wouldn't dare!"

Jiang Xiyue finally relaxed. Although she knew her husband's character, this was a matter of male dignity, and she was initially quite afraid...

Fortunately, her husband believed her.

If her husband doesn't believe her... then divorce is the only option. After all, no matter how hard she tries, she can't live a harmonious life with her husband if he doesn't trust her.

Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will take root and sprout in your heart, and even if you try to pull it out, it will leave a big scar.

She wasn't afraid of being distrusted, nor was she afraid of divorce.

After all, her younger brother gave her and her older sister enough confidence; if they divorced, her younger brother would definitely take her home.

Li Haisheng was unaware that his wife was considering divorce and returning to her parents' home; he had never doubted her.

He was simply furious, furious that a prince could be so shameless.

Wait a minute! What did my father-in-law say again?

Is my eldest sister also being coveted? Will her husband, Dong Jin, have received the letter as well? My eldest sister is currently with her in-laws; will the elders misunderstand her situation?

Li Haisheng's question was immediately dismissed by Jiang Xiyue. The Dong family members are extremely reasonable and would never hold a grudge against the eldest sister without evidence.

"You mean my eldest sister? No, no, my eldest sister is the one who has the final say in the Dong family, and she's also my in-laws' savior. My brother-in-law will believe her."

"Yes, but we still need to write a letter to my brother-in-law and tell him about our situation."

Even if you can't help explain for your elder sister, this indirectly confirms that you couldn't possibly have had contact with the royal family.

Li Haisheng trusted his wife completely, but he couldn't guarantee that his brother-in-law would feel the same way.

"What kind of idiot Fourth Prince is he? I don't know what's gotten into him. My older sister is seven years older than him, and I'm five years older than him. What? Does he lack maternal love?"

Li Haisheng didn't know whether he lacked maternal love or not; he just wanted to hide his wife away.

However, it seems that's not necessary. The fourth prince is inspecting the waterways and won't be returning to the capital for half a year, so it's safe for now!