Chapter 178: Wait, What Do You Think You Understood?

Xiao Yang was just about to start reviewing memorials when Mu Yunlian came in.

"This is the file on Lu Huaixi."

He was holding two files.

"Corruption, bribery, abducting women—he’s done it all. Plus, the methods he used to secure his position as governor back then weren’t exactly honorable."

"Luoyan City is on the border, the most difficult region for the court to govern. It’s dark and chaotic. The governor and the Capital Commandant are the local tyrants, the petty emperors of this place. It’s rare to find one who isn’t corrupt. But he’s truly been framed for today’s assassination. That Lu Bing was an assassin in disguise. The skin on his face was peeled right off the real Lu Bing."

In other words, someone else wanted to kill the Emperor, and this person also held a grudge against Lu Huaixi.

An assassination at a banquet Lu Huaixi hosted for the Emperor was already enough to have his entire clan executed. But the assassin went so far as to kill Lu Huaixi’s son and skin his face. Only an enemy would do something so ruthless.

After Xiao Yang finished reading the file, she wasn’t shocked, merely resigned.

Ever since the day she took down the Empress Dowager Faction, she had seen far too much evidence of crimes, each more cruel and disgusting than the last.

’They’re a pack of black-hearted, black-livered beasts. In front of people like these, even capitalists are amateurs.’

’What Lu Huaixi did? Just standard operating procedure.’

"Organize the evidence and give it to Li Wei." He was an old hand at confiscating assets.

Xiao Yang opened the memorials. She read through them unhurriedly. They mostly consisted of veiled inquiries about the Emperor’s sudden appearance, followed by requests to pay their respects.

Xiao Yang rejected them all outright.

The memorials from Qiu Changyu and Wu Taimei were much the same, though Wu Taimei also took the chance to show off that he was about to become a father. He added that the physician said it would be a daughter, and that his wife loved daughters.

’This guy really doesn’t treat the Emperor like a stranger, telling me everything.’

As Xiao Yang was reading, a name on one of the memorials suddenly caught her eye: Zhao Cheng’an was respectfully inquiring after her health.

The Marquis Wucheng.

Xiao Yang opened the memorial, and a sharp, fierce aggression instantly emanated from the calligraphy.

The last time they brushed past each other, Xiao Yang hadn’t gotten a clear look at Zhao Cheng’an’s face, but as the saying goes, the writing reveals the man. His was filled to the brim with ambition and aggression—truly befitting one of the four rebel kings.

Compared to the handwriting, the content was much more conventional. He also said he wished to come and pay his respects, and mentioned that he had caught a deer to send to her.

Just as she finished the memorial, Xiao Lan entered. "Your Majesty, the Marquis Wucheng has sent a sika deer."

Xiao Yang nodded slightly, indicating that she understood.

The Marquis Wucheng’s fief was Yizhou. Yizhou bordered Yan Hill and Chenzhou. The Marquis was on good terms with Prince Kang, so Chenzhou was also within his sphere of influence.

In other words, Zhao Cheng’an held power over at least three prefectures.

Furthermore, Yizhou was Da Wei’s largest iron-producing region and also had a gold mine. Moreover, Yizhou was located in the middle and lower reaches of a river, with flat, fertile land and abundant grain production.

’Regardless of favorable timing or popular support, his geographical advantage is immense.’

’It’s like the heavens piled all the best things onto him. Anyone in his position would be letting down such incredible resources if they didn’t rebel.’

Zhao Cheng’an was already intent on rebelling, and now the Emperor had appeared here. It was impossible that he wouldn’t make a move.

Then there was the other would-be rebel, King Huainan. From Chenzhou, he was only two prefectures away.

’So the thief who snuck in today... which faction do they belong to, and what were they trying to steal?’

Looking at all this, Xiao Yang suddenly wanted to just throw her hands up and be a fatuous ruler.

’This is just too torturous.’

After finishing all the memorials, Xiao Yang picked up Wu Taimei’s again.

’The man is an oddball, but he’s useful.’

’His loyalty is questionable, but how can you expect loyalty from someone you’ve never even met? In the end, it’s all about personal gain.’

A sitting governor was a Standard Fourth Rank official. Compared to the Capital City, where you could kill a third-rank official just by dropping a rock, a Standard Fourth Rank truly was a bit low.

Wu Taimei was already married and had a child on the way; it was about time he got a promotion. The court was short on people, and even shorter on interesting characters.

Xiao Yang added another sentence after the "Understood" she had just written.

After writing it, she took a look. Tsk tsk. ’Wouldn’t Wu Taimei go crazy when he sees this?’

It was very late by the time Xiao Yang finished with the memorials. Ling Ji came in with two maids to help her wash up, leaving a single lamp lit before closing the door.

In the dead of night, while sleeping fitfully, Xiao Yang instantly grew alert the moment she sensed someone enter. She woke with a start, but upon realizing who it was, she felt more like hitting them.

She waited until he had tiptoed to the bed and was about to lean in before she spoke, her voice cool and faint. "So, the real reason you insisted on giving Ling Ji to Us was to make it convenient for her to open the door for you?"

Mu Yunlian’s movements paused for a second, then he leaned in and kissed her directly.

The kiss was urgent yet gentle. His limbs coiled around her tightly, like a long-starving python that had caught its prey, refusing to let go.

But no matter how urgent Mu Yunlian was, he didn’t forget to control his strength and made sure not to make Xiao Yang uncomfortable. Otherwise, he definitely would have been kicked out of bed.

However, just as their passion deepened, it came to an abrupt halt. In the end, he had to take care of himself, a truly agonizing experience.

"Your Majesty... you clearly enjoy it too... Why won’t you have me?"

Mu Yunlian rested in the crook of her shoulder, struggling to calm his breathing. At this moment, he was suffering greatly but was unwilling to settle for less. He wanted to be with her completely, in every way.

Xiao Yang didn’t bring up the matter of his age. "Didn’t you already figure out how to make guns? Then a little thing like this shouldn’t stop you. When you figure it out, that’s when We will favor you."

Mu Yunlian froze. Even his ragged breathing vanished in an instant. His whole body went rigid, and he lowered his head, saying aggrievedly, "This subject is very clean. I have never been with anyone else."

His first reaction was that Xiao Yang thought he was dirty.

"You can ask Ling Ji. I’m not dirty."

Xiao Yang couldn’t help but laugh. "I know you’re clean. I just don’t want to get pregnant."

Hearing this, Mu Yunlian relaxed completely. His eyes burned as he looked at her, and he gave her a light peck. "...I understand..."

After saying that, he slid his whole body downward. Xiao Yang clutched the blanket. ’Wait, what is it you understand?!’

----

"Your Majesty, look what I found!!"

Xie Liuzheng came looking for Xiao Yang in high spirits, clutching a handful of grass. She was so excited she looked like she was about to start jumping.

Xiao Yang looked at the grass she was presenting like a treasure, examining it again and again. She wasn’t entirely sure. "Is this... corn?"

The grass in Xie Liuzheng’s hand was only as thick as a little finger, but its shape strongly resembled corn. It was just too small. And when peeled, it revealed a string of seeds inside. The exterior looked like corn, but the interior didn’t.

Xie Liuzheng nodded frantically. "Yes! It’s the ancestor of corn, teosinte."

Xiao Yang had never studied this, so she really didn’t know. But seeing how excited Xie Liuzheng was, it had to be real.

But that wasn’t the only surprise. Xie Liuzheng took out another, thicker stalk and mysteriously peeled back its fruit. Inside was no longer a string of seeds, but a cob with a ring of seeds growing on it. It was still green, but it was clearly a primitive form of corn.

Xie Liuzheng explained, "Corn comes from crossbreeding two types of teosinte multiple times. And it just so happens that both types grow here. I searched for a long time and finally found this one. As long as we take this back to plant and crossbreed it further, the corn will become more and more tender, and the yields will get higher and higher."

Xiao Yang looked at the corn, not doubting a single word she said.

"You have great luck. I’ll be waiting to eat the corn you cultivate. In the future, the people of this world will be grateful to you."

Xie Liuzheng was so happy about finding the corn that she couldn’t sleep. The next day, she rushed out again to see if she could find any other miraculous crops.

Although Xiao Yang supported her, she was also worried about her safety. She had Xiao Cheng take some men to follow her, and they brought along gunpowder and guns.

Xiao Yang patted Xiao Cheng’s shoulder. "Don’t underestimate Liuzheng. Right now, she might just be copying someone else’s homework, but if she truly understands it, her merit will last for a thousand autumns and ten thousand generations. The people of this world can live without Us, but they cannot live without her. You’ll understand in the future. So, protect her with all your power, do you understand?"

Xiao Cheng nodded. "This subject understands."