In the seventeenth year of the Kaihuang era, I wrote my will in the examination hall.

As I boarded the carriage returning to the East Palace, the rumbling of the wheels over the bluestone pavement of Daxing City sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet of the night.

Yang Yan leaned against the carriage wall, swaying gently with the bumps of the carriage, but a smile he couldn't suppress appeared on the corner of his mouth.

This trip to the Prince of Qin's residence was far more fruitful than I could have imagined!

Although I didn't get my hands on that incomplete scroll, it was just an inanimate object anyway.

He caught Yang Jun red-handed!

As long as we keep our Third Uncle, who possesses the "core technology of the Sui Dynasty," firmly bound to our cause, the contents of that incomplete scroll will eventually become tangible productive forces.

Yang Yan closed his eyes, quickly sketching out a future map in his mind.

As a history student, although he did not understand the specific process of steelmaking, he clearly remembered that the Lingnan region, especially the future Guangdong and Guangxi regions, was a huge treasure trove of resources.

Besides abundant timber and water resources, it also seems to have astonishing reserves of iron ore, as well as copper and tin ore, which were extremely scarce in this era.

He didn't know the exact location; he wasn't good at professional things like mineral exploration, but that didn't mean Yang Jun wasn't good at it!

Since Yang Jun was able to improve the blast furnace in order to make a pot, his sensitivity to ore must be far beyond that of ordinary people.

Once you get to Lingnan, as long as you give him enough manpower and resources and let him explore, why worry about not finding a mine?

With the availability of mines, coupled with Yang Jun's somewhat skewed technological development, the Sui Dynasty's steel production could experience an explosive growth.

At that time, whether it's equipping a private army or accumulating wealth through maritime trade, the Crown Prince will have the absolute capital to survive in this chaotic world!

Therefore, Yang Jun must be protected! He absolutely cannot be allowed to be poisoned!

With that in mind, Yang Yan began to analyze the situation in the imperial court.

Judging from the conversation just now, Yang Jun doesn't have any ambition for that position, and even has an instinctive fear of the stern Yang Jian.

Moreover, when he mentioned his father Yang Yong, although there was some disappointment in his tone, there was no hostility. On the contrary, there was a natural sense of closeness, like "Even though my older brother is useless, he is still my brother."

This is crucial.

Yang Jun and Yang Yong were of similar age and grew up together. In terms of personality, one was indecisive and the other was cynical. Neither of them had the deep and sinister scheming of Yang Guang.

With Yang Guang pressing closer and closer and the court overwhelmingly siding with Prince Jin, Yang Jun was a natural political ally!

"well……"

Yang Yan sighed and rubbed his throbbing temples.

Speaking of which, my grandfather, Yang Jian, was truly an exceptional oddity among the hundreds of emperors in ancient China.

As the supreme ruler who ushered in the "Kaihuang Prosperity," the emperor of all time only had one empress, Dugu Jialuo, throughout his life. The harem was practically non-existent, and he truly practiced "one husband, one wife."

The key point is that this only legal wife was also very fertile, giving birth to five sons for him in one go!

In an ordinary family, this would be a perfect example of many children bringing good fortune and a strict family tradition.

The problem is, this is royalty.

The five legitimate sons each had the right to inherit the throne, and each was granted the title of prince, wielding considerable power.

If the order of seniority and succession could be maintained, the Sui Dynasty, even if it could not last for ten thousand generations, could at least enjoy long-term peace and stability.

Yang Yan even thought with a wicked sense of humor: if the Sui Dynasty could really smoothly transition through several generations through the primogeniture system, perhaps influenced by Yang Jian and his wife, the "one husband, one wife system" might actually become the standard for emperors in later generations, and might even be written into the legal code more than a thousand years earlier.

Unfortunately, history has no "what ifs".

This seemingly perfect family structure, under the allure of imperial power, turned into the most potent poison.

With many sons, the struggle for succession becomes fierce.

But looking at it from another angle...

Yang Yan suddenly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them.

This family structure is also his opportunity!

Empress Dowager Dugu Jialuo, the iron-fisted woman who controlled the harem and could even "rule the court with the emperor," what did she value most?

It's about devotion! It's about order! It's about gender equality (at least it's perfectly embodied in her own life)!

She disliked Yang Yong because he favored his concubine over his wife; she liked Yang Guang because he pretended to only have Consort Xiao in front of her.

What if we could make a difference in this area?

For example, at appropriate times, one can express acceptance of the concept of "gender equality" through some "unintentional" actions, or put forward some insights that can improve the status of women or conform to the spirit of "monogamy"...

Will that powerful queen grandmother treat her eldest grandson differently?

Yang Yan stroked his chin, seemingly lost in thought.

In this agrarian society, men were the absolute labor force, responsible for corvée labor, farming, and fighting. If a complete monogamous system were to be implemented, population growth would indeed be a major problem.

But ideas can be packaged.

As long as you can touch Dugu Jialuo's heart, even if it's just making her feel that "this grandson understands me," then you will have an extra life-saving charm in this doomed game of vying for the throne!

The carriage slowly entered the East Palace. Looking at the towering palace walls, Yang Yan took a deep breath and suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind.

In the courtyard of Changning Hall in the East Palace, ginkgo leaves are falling in abundance.

Yang Yan had just returned from the Prince of Qin's residence, his mind still swirling with the blueprints for the blast furnace renovation and the distribution of mineral veins in Lingnan. He was just about to pick up a cup of hot tea to moisten his throat when Zhao'er rushed in anxiously: "Your Highness, someone from the palace has come! Please come out quickly..."

Immediately afterwards, the sound of uniformly rubbing armor plates came from outside the palace gates, accompanied by the high-pitched voices unique to the Inner Palace Attendants Bureau.

"Imperial edict arrives—Prince Yang Yan of Changning receives the edict!"

Yang Yong rushed to the courtyard, his face showing a hint of barely perceptible unease and panic.

Senior eunuchs from the Inner Palace Service, dressed in crimson official robes and carrying bright yellow scrolls, entered the courtyard under the escort of the Imperial Guards, their expressions solemn.

A senior eunuch in purple robes from the Inner Palace Service entered the courtyard, escorted by two rows of imperial guards. The eunuch was fair-skinned and beardless, with a solemn expression. In his hands, he held not ordinary bamboo slips, but two bright yellow scrolls.

Two volumes?

Yang Yan's eyelids twitched suddenly, and a strange premonition rose in his heart, but he dared not delay. He quickly lifted his clothes and knelt down respectfully.

"Your subject Yang Yan respectfully listens to Your Majesty's instructions."

The eunuch unfurled the first scroll of the imperial edict: "Your Excellency: Prince Yang Yan of Changning, a member of the imperial clan, is a man of exceptional talent, skilled in both literature and martial arts. Lingnan is a distant and remote region, truly the domain of the Emperor. You are hereby appointed as the Inspector of Lingnan, to convey the Emperor's decrees and pacify the Baiyue peoples. You are to be under the complete control of the prefectures and counties you pass through. You are to depart within ten days. This is the imperial decree!"

"Your subject Yang Yan accepts the decree and thanks Your Majesty for your grace!" Yang Yan kowtowed and raised his hands to receive the imperial decree.

However, before he could straighten up, the eunuch unfolded the second scroll of the imperial edict, his tone carrying a strange hint of joy.

"The Empress's decree states: Prince Yang Yan of Changning has reached adulthood and is of marriageable age. The Xian family of Lingnan is known for its loyalty and virtue, and their daughter Hongyu is virtuous and gentle. She may be betrothed to the Prince. The relevant officials are to select an auspicious day and send an envoy with imperial credentials to conduct the betrothal ceremony. After the marriage, she shall be formally conferred her title according to regulations."

Yang Yan remained silent for a moment before immediately kowtowing to receive the imperial decree!

"Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace!"

He walked up to the eunuch, discreetly slipped a smooth jade pendant from his sleeve, and asked in a low voice, "May I ask, does Her Majesty the Empress have any further instructions or secret decrees to convey to me?"