Poverty Alleviation in Qin: A Sky-High Review of "I Am the Female Prime Minister of All Time&qu

Lu Gong waved his hands repeatedly to smooth things over: "Liu Tingzhang, please stop teasing me!" After saying that, there was still a thin layer of sweat on his forehead, it was hard to tell whether it was because he was embarrassed or because he was feeling guilty for being caught out.

Liu Ji grinned and said, "Lord Lü, you are unaware of this. Our Lord Song is outstanding in every way, except for one thing: he is still unmarried at the age of twenty."

"A county magistrate like herself, without even a servant to take care of her daily needs, spending her days alone in the county government, barely scraping by with cold food and old clothes. It breaks my heart to see her like this!"

After saying that, he raised his hand and touched his chest, looking very sincere.

The hall erupted in laughter and chatter once again.

Lu Gong's hand holding the cup suddenly stopped, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes, as if he had unintentionally discovered a rare treasure.

At twenty years old, single and unmarried, it couldn't be more fitting.

Behind the screen, Lü Zhi's heart also trembled slightly.

Upon learning that Young Master Song was still unmarried, her once tranquil heart was suddenly stirred by a gentle breeze, rippling outwards.

Meanwhile, Liu Ji was still praising the leader, listing everything from his diligence in serving the people and his integrity to his political talent and farming skills.

Lu Gong nodded repeatedly as he listened, his expression growing increasingly satisfied, and he began to consider matters concerning the marriage and betrothal gifts.

Song Ye, standing in the center of the bustling scene, paid no attention to the surrounding conversations. He seemed to be raising his glass in a friendly manner, but his thoughts had already drifted far away.

She had originally decided not to attend this banquet.

But after Xiao He and the others left, the name "Lord Lü" lingered in my mind, and I felt inexplicably familiar with it.

Sitting quietly and reflecting, fragmented memories are pieced together layer by layer.

Empress Lü Zhi, the first empress of Emperor Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) and the first empress in history to rule as regent, was the father of this very same Lü Gong who moved to Pei County.

The story of Lü Gong's discerning eye in choosing a son-in-law and his ability to judge a woman's appearance at a banquet before marrying her off is a historical event that took place in Pei County.

Who could have imagined that this carefree and easygoing village head would one day rise to the pinnacle of power and establish a dynasty?

As for the marriage Liu Ji mentioned, she took it as a joke and didn't take it to heart.

At this moment, Liu Ji spoke again, enthusiastically urging, "Therefore, if Lord Lü has a suitable candidate, he should keep an eye out for Lord Song!"

Song Ye's expression remained unchanged, and he maintained his polite smile.

Liu Ji at this moment is probably unaware that he has already been regarded by Lord Lü as a son-in-law.

When talking about Empress Lü, Song always held a special kind of appreciation in his heart.

When people talk about her in later generations, they mostly call her a "poisonous woman," saying that she was ruthless and vicious.

Song never denied the various past events recorded in history books. The torture of human pigs was horrific. He did not hesitate to kill founding heroes such as Peng Yue and Han Xin. He ruled as regent for more than ten years. His actions were decisive and ruthless, which was indeed different from ordinary people.

But when she judges people, she never focuses on one-sided conclusions.

To understand a person, one must consider the whole picture.

When Lü Zhi married Liu Bang, he was just a minor official, not young, poor, and had an illegitimate child with him.

A woman who marries a man is expected to manage the household chores and work in the fields, shouldering all the responsibilities both inside and outside the home.

Liu Bang spent all his time wandering around and never cared about his family.

Later, during the war, Lü Zhi and Liu Taigong were captured by the enemy and taken hostage. They endured two or three years in the enemy camp, constantly teetering on the brink of life and death.

Anyone else would probably have given up long ago, but this woman persevered.

Song also understood that what made Lü Zhi the way she was later was fate, the times, and the desperate counterattacks after being pushed into the brink of despair time and time again.

If life is stable, the other person may just be an ordinary wife and mother.

In Song Ye's eyes, Lü Zhi was like a book that was not yet finished.

She knew that all that awaited this girl was hardship, but she was powerless and unwilling to interfere with the course of fate.

Song also put aside his thoughts and looked up to meet Lü Gong's inexplicably excited gaze.

"...?"

Ok?

Lu Gong quickly looked away, lowered his head, raised his cup to drink, and pretended to be nonchalant.

But the smile on his face was impossible to hide; it almost stretched to his ears.

Liu Ji, who was standing to the side, was still making a fuss. He leaned close to Lü Gong's ear and said in a seemingly low voice, but everyone else could hear him clearly: "Lü Gong, look at Lord Song. His appearance, talent, and character are all outstanding. Such a person is hard to find even with a lantern."

Lu Gong nodded repeatedly, his heart filled with excitement, wishing he could take out paper and pen on the spot to finalize the marriage agreement.

With so many guests present, he could only suppress his thoughts, his eyes constantly scrutinizing Song Ye's appearance and demeanor. The more he looked, the more satisfied he became, and he even silently prepared three dowry lists in his mind.

This direct stare made Song Ye very uncomfortable, and she quietly turned to Xiao He and asked, "Is there something on my face?"

"Sir, you really didn't notice?"

"What did you see?"

Xiao He swallowed his words, only saying, "It's nothing."

Seeing that the other person seemed hesitant to speak, Song vaguely sensed that something was wrong, but did not press the matter further.

Behind the screen, Lü Zhi stood for a long time, and a smile involuntarily crept into her heart.

Everyone present saw through the father's intentions, and even Liu, the village head, went along with it. Only Magistrate Song, caught in the middle of the situation, was completely unaware.

Lü Zhi lowered her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, and quietly turned to leave.

I was afraid that if I kept watching, I would burst out laughing.

.......

The housewarming party came to an end, and the guests left in twos and threes.

Song also stood up, cupped his hands in farewell to Lord Lü, and said, "Lord Lü, I have troubled you for a long time today. Let's talk again another day."

Xiao He, Cao Can, and others also stood up.

Liu Ji drank the most, and as he was being helped out, he muttered, "Lord Lü, let's drink another day!"

Lu Gongli stood at the door, smiling as he saw off each guest. He was polite and courteous on the surface, but his mind was still preoccupied with the unfinished business from the banquet.

After the last guest disappeared into the alley, he turned and entered the main hall. Just as he was about to walk to the backyard, a servant hurriedly stepped forward carrying a wooden box.

"Sir, this is the congratulatory gift that Lord Song brought when he came to visit. I was so busy just now that I forgot to show it to you."

Lu Gong took the wooden box and opened the lid.

Inside were a few bolts of silk, ordinary gifts for entertaining guests, nothing special.

Beneath the silk cloth lay a thick stack of bamboo slips, three or four layers thick, tightly bound with hemp rope.

He reached out and took out the bamboo slips, untied the knot, unfolded the first scroll, and his gaze immediately froze.

They were scrolls, and there were several sets of them, stacked up to nearly half a foot high.

The content is extremely broad, including selections from the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, as well as miscellaneous notes describing the landscapes and customs of the four directions and the various aspects of folk life. It also includes simple and practical medical prescriptions, agricultural books, and collections of stories about anecdotes of historical figures.

The writing style is simple and easy to understand, making it a pleasure to read.

The handwriting throughout is neat and elegant, showing that a lot of effort was put into copying it.

Lu Gong flipped through several volumes in succession, his fingertips trembling slightly.

Books were already scarce at the time, not because of the imperial court's ban, but because of the limited conditions: bamboo slips were heavy and had to be copied by hand, which took a long time. Ordinary families would consider it a treasure if they owned one or two scrolls.

It is truly unexpected that Song, as the magistrate of a county, was able to collect so many classic texts.

Comrade Zhang, the "tool person": "......"

My gaze fell on the top scroll, where a small label was affixed to the short film, which read: "Respectfully presented by the young lady of the Lü family."

Life is tough, but books can give people confidence.

[I came across a few volumes by chance, and I've copied them down to give to you as a small pleasure. I hope you enjoy them.]

Lu Gong held the slip of paper, momentarily bewildered.

Could it be that Lord Song also harbors thoughts of a marriage alliance?

Unable to fathom the intention behind it, Lu Gong had no choice but to suppress his doubts for the time being, close the wooden box, and carry the items to the backyard.

At this moment, Lü Zhi was still awake and was sitting by the window in a daze.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up: "Father."

"E'xu, take a look at this." Lu Gong placed the wooden box in front of her, his tone filled with emotion, "This is a congratulatory gift from Lord Song, who specifically requested it be given to you."

Empress Lü looked surprised and reached out to open the wooden box.

Upon seeing the stacks of bamboo slips, I was stunned.

As you flip through the volumes, you'll find a wealth of poems, essays, stories, and magical techniques, all presented in an easy-to-understand and engaging way.

Only books can give people confidence and allow them to linger for a long time.

Empress Lü Zhi loved reading from a young age, but books were hard to come by.

Her father would occasionally bring back one or two volumes, which she would read repeatedly until she knew them by heart.

In all her life, no one had ever given her so many books at once, nor had anyone said anything that touched her heart so deeply.

How could anyone in this world understand my thoughts so well...?