After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 382 The Enlightenment Teacher Has Been Placed

The emperor was shocked and stroked his chin thoughtfully, "Among so many noble families in Langya Kingdom, I have never seen any with such great ability!"

"Indeed! I feel like I've struck gold! Sixth Prince has made a good choice in marrying this concubine. Since she married him, he seems to have gained a lot of weight and is in much better spirits. She even became pregnant in just a few months, and now she has this precious pearl. It's clear that the abbot of the Buddhist temple was right; she is truly blessed!"

The empress brainwashed the emperor with just a few words.

The emperor now also believed that Shen Tian was a lucky person, so he ordered someone to bring Duan Ren's memorial to him for another careful look, and also summoned Tian Ziyan and You Kang to the imperial study for a discussion.

The Queen achieved her goal and became increasingly pleased.

Tian Ziyan and You Kang were terrified that the emperor would personally summon them to inquire about the pontoon bridge. They recounted everything they had seen and heard in great detail.

The emperor raised several questions: "Wouldn't building a pontoon bridge make it impossible for boats to travel in the area?"

Tian Ziyan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty may not know this, but Zhaohua County is close to the ice field. The pontoon bridge was built on the upper reaches of the Daxun River, which is mainly fed by glacial meltwater. Therefore, there are not many big fish in the river. The local people mainly make a living by farming and only go to the river to catch fish in their spare time. They only take a boat in one situation, which is to cross the river."

Dahe Town is more prosperous than Moshi Town, and it is closer for people on the other side of the river to cross to Dahe Town so they can earn more money. However, every year, quite a few people get into accidents while crossing the river.

With a pontoon bridge that allows horse-drawn carriages and oxcarts to pass, it's like building a road over the water; everyone no longer has to worry about safety when crossing the river.

"Excellent!" The emperor was overjoyed. "Shen Yi's actions have benefited the country and its people, and he deserves a reward! What do you think I should do to reward him?"

The eunuch standing to the side said respectfully, "Your Majesty, have you forgotten that Shen Yi was also the one who saved the Marquis of Yong'an? At that time, they refused official positions, and you even personally bestowed upon them a plaque."

The emperor suddenly realized, "So it was him! I remember he didn't want to stay in the army because he couldn't bear to leave his wife and children."

“That’s possible. Shen Yi’s parents died early, and he’s been living alone ever since. He finally got married and had children, so naturally he cherishes his wife and children very much,” You Kang explained subtly for Shen Yi.

The emperor nodded in understanding, pondered for a long time, and personally wrote several imperial edicts, ordering the imperial envoy to go to Zhaohua County to proclaim them.

After leaving the palace, Tian Ziyan and You Kang smiled at each other.

"Lord You reacted very quickly just now, I admire you."

"Hey! Lord Tian is truly amazing. Your explanation was so vivid and moving that even I was touched. His Majesty must be thinking even more about it."

Tian Ziyan stroked his beard and sighed, "Good officials like Shen Yi, who are wholeheartedly devoted to the people, cannot be buried. This is all we can do."

"At least I can contribute!" You Kang said cheerfully.

The two parted ways halfway through the journey.

When they returned to their residence, they learned that someone had come to deliver New Year's gifts that day, all of which were seafood!

The two immediately guessed it was Shen Yi, and became even more convinced that they hadn't misjudged him.

In Yong'an Hou's Mansion.

Liu Laosan listened to Shen Dagou and the other two talking about Shen Tian's situation and was in a good mood. "That girl is so lucky. You don't need to worry about her. Now let's talk about this seafood. What price are you selling it for? I'll put it in the shop to sell later!"

Su Zhan froze, almost falling off his stool. "Uncle! Please, have mercy! This seafood was specially prepared for you by my sister and brother-in-law. We didn't intend for you to sell it! Besides, doesn't that shop make money? Why are you making such a fuss?"

Liu Laosan chuckled sheepishly, "I was just asking. If you're not happy, I won't sell it."

"You'd better keep your word, or my brother-in-law might come looking for you in person next time!"

Su Zhan's threat was ineffective. Liu Laosan ignored it, thinking, "The pontoon bridge is all repaired now, he should have some free time!"

Su Zhan shook his head, "I'm busy with the seafood business! How could I possibly be idle! There's another matter. We'd like to consult with you, sir. Two or three would be fine. Do you have any connections here, Uncle?"

Liu Laosan immediately became agitated, "Do you really think I'm omnipotent? I had to use a lot of connections to find out about You Kang and Tian Ziyan. You ask me about military officers and I can think of some solutions for you, but an enlightened teacher? I really don't know. You might as well ask Tang Yu. He's been promoted again and works in the Ministry of Justice. He should know a lot of scholars."

"Huh? My brother-in-law got promoted again?" Su Zhan's eyes were full of surprise.

Liu Laosan was speechless. "You've been here for several days and haven't asked me anything?"

Su Chuan quickly explained, "We've been so busy these past few days that we haven't even had a moment to breathe. We haven't even finished settling the accounts, so we haven't had the energy to talk about anything else. Xiao Xi didn't say anything, we didn't ask, and we haven't run into my brother-in-law, so we really don't know."

Liu Laosan nodded repeatedly and sighed, "He really works very hard, leaving early and returning late. Now that you don't live together, it's possible. Go over for a visit when you're done with your work, and you can also hear Tang Yu's opinion. I really don't understand the affairs of scholars!"

Su Chuan and his group lived next door to Tang Yu's family, but not in the same courtyard, so they had no way of knowing each other's whereabouts.

The group stayed at the Marquis of Yong'an's residence for a while before heading back.

After all the social obligations were completed, the seafood in Xiaoxi's shop was sold out. If she hadn't secretly saved some, they probably wouldn't have been able to eat any during the New Year.

Even if they lose the seafood, they still have jewelry.

Those ladies and young women, having somehow gotten wind of the situation, all came to his door. With so many women, it was difficult for Su Chuan to stand out.

Two days later, Xiao Xi finally had some free time to reconcile the accounts with them.

This batch of goods was worth over 100,000 taels of silver. Xiao Xi received more than 10,000 taels, and the rest was converted into silver notes, which were packed into two or three boxes.

Before leaving, Su Chuan and his group went to Ke Yunyun's house.

When Tang Yu returned, everyone drank, ate, and chatted.

Su Zhan asked about his mentor.

Surprisingly, Tang Yu actually made a recommendation.

"Two teachers from Lushan Academy were framed for offending powerful figures; one was imprisoned and the other was expelled from the capital."

I've been keeping an eye on their news these past few days, but I don't dare to help them openly. I can only secretly send them some money.

Both gentlemen were truly talented; what a pity!

Su Chuan and Su Zhan exchanged glances, then Su Chuan pressed, "Could you tell me more about their situation?"

Tang Yu nodded. "These two gentlemen are named Chu Heng and Xi Mu. Neither of them are from the capital. They came to the capital with great ambitions, but they had no way to recommend themselves, so they had to find a job as an elementary teacher. Because they taught well, they were recommended to Lushan Academy."

We've met a few times and had a fairly pleasant conversation.

Some time ago, many teachers and students at Lushan Academy wrote a petition to plead for the Second Prince. Many people signed and affixed their fingerprints. The two princes refused to compromise their principles and had no background, so they were suppressed by powerful figures. I know those people were making an example of them to warn others; even if they were indignant, they couldn't fight against the powerful.

He now has a family and has lost his former pride.

Thinking about this, Tang Yu even despised himself.