Who understands? He traveled through time with a high-spec spatial ability.

A flicker of emotion crossed Emperor Xuanjing's eyes. He gently stroked Empress Zhao's hand, his voice low and tender: "Do you remember what we said back then, that once everything settled down, we'd find a secluded place and build a small courtyard..."

"I remember, I remember every single detail." Tears welled up in Empress Zhao's eyes.

"You said you wanted to plant two peach trees in front of the door, one to bloom while the other bears fruit, so that you could see peach blossoms all year round."

The candlelight flickered in the bedchamber, illuminating the two men's no longer dark hair. More than twenty years of life in the palace had long since smoothed out the rough edges of their youth, but it had never diminished the deep affection hidden in their hearts.

Emperor Xuanjing suddenly coughed violently, and Empress Zhao quickly helped him sit up, gently patting his back. Once the coughing subsided, he said with a wry smile, "I'm afraid my body can't withstand a long journey."

"Nonsense!" Empress Zhao's voice trembled slightly. "Jingjing's medicine is very effective; you will definitely get better. Besides..." She paused, a sly glint in her eyes, "I've already ordered people to start construction there; you can't let me waste my efforts."

Emperor Xuanjing looked at her in surprise: "When did you...?"

"More than half a month ago." Empress Zhao took out a roll of drawings from her sleeve and carefully unfolded it. "Look, this is the main building, this is the garden, and there is a space specially reserved here for you to practice your swordsmanship."

Emperor Xuanjing gazed at the exquisite layout on the drawing, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. In the corner of the drawing were three delicate characters, "Peach Blossom Village," written in the handwriting of Empress Zhao.

"Yao'er..." His voice choked with emotion, "You've suffered so much these past years."

Empress Zhao shook her head and rolled up the drawings again: "As long as I can be with you, what grievances could I possibly feel? It's just..." Her expression suddenly darkened, "...those ministers in court, and the various powerful families..."

"The Crown Prince is now capable of handling things independently." Emperor Xuanjing tightened his grip on her hand, a resolute glint in his eyes. "This poisoning incident has made me realize many things. Life is short, and I don't want to let you down again."

"Crown Prince?" The Empress looked at Emperor Xuanjing with a puzzled expression.

Emperor Xuanjing chuckled and explained, "I plan to announce that Zhou'er will be crown prince on the day of his wedding. The title of crown princess will be my dowry for my daughter-in-law."

Outside the window, the morning light gradually brightened. An early-rising thrush landed on the window frame, curiously observing the emperor and empress embracing each other.

"We'll set off after Jingjing and the Crown Prince's wedding," Emperor Xuanjing said softly. "We'll leave the affairs of state to the Crown Prince, and we... will go live the life we've always wanted."

Empress Zhao leaned on his shoulder and nodded gently. At this moment, they were no longer the emperor and empress, but simply the lovers who had vowed to grow old together more than twenty years ago.

Qiao Jingjing stood by the window, gazing at the gradually brightening sky, toying with a copper coin that had appeared out of nowhere in her hand. The coin gleamed with a warm luster in the morning light, the character "缘" (yuan, meaning fate or destiny) engraved on the front, and a lotus pattern on the back.

“A chance encounter…” she murmured softly, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes.

---

Time flies, and the wedding day is now officially three days away.

During this period, Beijing underwent many changes. The cement received amazing praise as soon as it was officially launched and went on sale.

Many prominent families, street vendors, and ordinary people began to use cement to build courtyards and houses, or roads around their homes.

The original brick and tile buildings and bluestone roads have gradually taken on a new look.

The Ministry of Revenue made a great success of its cement business, and Jiang Yuming would grin from ear to ear as he listened to his subordinates report on the sales situation in their respective jurisdictions.

The good news didn't stop there. The renovation of the western district had been progressing slowly. However, since the water conservancy project was temporarily suspended, the able-bodied men who were no longer in demand were immediately reassigned to the western district.

This greatly accelerated the construction of new villages in the western district. The rows of neat and sturdy houses were a sight to behold.

Qiao Jingjing then took out another million catties of grain from her spatial storage and sold them to the Ministry of Revenue.

With funds readily available, the Ministry of Revenue promptly paid Qiao Jingjing the full amount owed. The grain was then used to support the laborers in the redevelopment area.

In this way, the people had a livelihood, the government made money, houses were built, and the smooth progress of the project increased the people's sense of belonging and security, forming a perfect closed loop.

With the completion of the new village, the pre-sale of real estate has entered its first peak phase.

The original plan was to have about 260 houses in the first batch, but with Qiao Jingjing's fame and the Ministry of Revenue's efforts, the houses were sold out in just two days.

Many people complained that they didn't manage to grab one immediately.

Liu Bian, Zhao Kun, and others approached Qiao Jingjing to inquire if she still had any houses available for sale.

As a businessman, one's instincts are always sharp. After the Princess of Yongding's wedding, the project's value will rise in tandem with her status. Taking advantage of the pre-sale discounts now, one should grab as many as possible.

Furthermore, the surrounding area's development plans also greatly appealed to them. New roads built with cement, various green belts, and public activity areas—buying, renting, or selling such a house would definitely be a good deal.

Of course, selling just one or two sets is not worthwhile, as it won't generate much profit. Ideally, you should sell them dozens of sets at once.

This way, you can support the county magistrate and make money at the same time. Why not?

The purchasing requests from business tycoons gave Qiao Jingjing another idea.

They immediately contacted Jiang Yuming and secured a new plot of land, which was planned to be developed into a luxury residential area.

A detached two-story house with a huge Chinese-style courtyard.

To avoid looking out of place, Qiao Jingjing designed the small building in the Huizhou style.

The walls are covered with small blue tiles and painted with white latex paint. The windows are decorated with carvings, which are simple and elegant, combining the basic style of Huizhou architecture with rich design.

The interior layout has also been redesigned to suit the convenience of modern urban living.

She didn't know how to make latex paint, so she begged Zhuzhu for a long time before she got a bucket. She then used the Wish Replica Machine to make a batch, which was barely enough to use.

Therefore, she is promoting these 80 houses as rare, top-tier luxury residences—a must-have for anyone who misses out!

Jiang Yuming came to Qiao Jingjing with a stack of purchase orders, his lips curled up in excitement. "Princess, these houses are selling really fast. Your 'hunger marketing' strategy is really effective!"

“Lord Jiang,” Qiao Jingjing put down the ledger in her hand and reminded him, “This time it’s really not a marketing tactic; we genuinely don’t have that many houses to sell.”

"why is that?"

He wanted to strike while the iron was hot and sell some more. He had never been so happy during his years in office; he used to worry about money every day.

She spread her hands and said, "We're out of materials. We only have enough to build 80 sets."