After saving the Empress, I became the top scholar in the imperial examination.

After leaving the flower hall and walking through the long corridor, the light in the young doctor's study was indeed somewhat dim.

She carried the lamp oil slowly, intending to refill it for him.

Seeing that this person was still studying at this hour, she smiled, but then quickly wiped the smile away as if she had thought of something, and suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Under the dark corridor.

Zhu Cuiwei's eyes widened slightly in surprise.

It was as if her mind had suddenly exploded, and a whole host of things came to mind...

Layer upon layer of green mountains...

The rolling river...

Erhu River... Yaoshan Mountain...

The simple village nestled within...

A boy is carrying a girl on his back...

Footsteps... wind... water... panting... more footsteps...

Forest... leaves...

Thick fog...

A long slope...

Three wooden houses... a kitchen with wisps of cooking smoke... a chicken coop... an old hen flapping its wings and flying around...

A wooden table, probably used for many years... with all sorts of books on it...

"Twenty coins for a piece of calligraphy!" the boy in the simple hemp shirt said proudly. "Old Han even allowed me to borrow books... Look... these are all handwritten by me..."

"Isn't it amazing?"

"Not impressive? Hmph..."

The mottled walls...

A bright green quilt...

Her face was deathly pale... She struggled to sit up... The bed creaked... A poem written in the style of the Wei stele caught her eye...

"That's what the bald-headed monk taught us..."

"Before the whale has even drunk its fill of the sea, the sword's aura has already swept across the land..."

……

……

"He could have had a very bright future!"

After she had been carefully recounting some things about the young doctor to her aunt, her aunt suddenly blurted out this sentence.

She sat on the couch in her dragon robe, stunned for a long time.

The gentle-natured aunt seemed to realize that her words were inappropriate, and quickly patted the back of her hand, smiling as she said:

"Of course, no matter how promising the future may be... it can't compare to marrying you..."

……

Zhu Cuiwei carried the lamp oil, silently exhaled in the dark corridor, slowly walked into the dimly lit study, went to the lamp, and added more lamp oil.

The dimly lit study immediately became bright.

Despite coming in last place in the county exam, she didn't stop for a moment and started reading that very night. The young doctor mistook her for Chunyu and told her to go home and go to sleep early.

She didn't speak, but walked closer to him and placed her delicate hand on his shoulder.

A bright moon in the sky casts its light light on the courtyard, making it appear as smooth as water.

She pulled the covers over herself, buried her head in his arms, and after a long while she closed her eyes, and after a long time she gradually fell asleep...

One image after another flashed through my mind...

Zhu Jiamu stood gracefully in the main hall of the Ning Mansion, saying he would take him back to Guangfu and have the Prince of Tang request an official title for him, appointing him as the Provincial Governor and the General of the Prince of Tang's Army...

The scene shifts... He's on a boat, saying he's going to find some kind of "seed." Zhu Jiamu stands beside him, facing the sea breeze, and says, "I'll go with you to find it."

The light gradually dimmed...

The scene shifts again...

Upon arriving at the Ning Mansion's main hall... he was playing chess with Gongsun Heng, one holding white pieces and the other black... Gongsun Heng said, "With my grandfather teaching you, I guarantee you'll become the top scholar in the imperial examination!"

Footsteps... wind... water... panting...

A boy carried a woman on his back... through the woods...

The boy put the woman down... and fed her water... but the woman... had a face covered in rosy blush...

……

As I awoke from my drowsy state, I was met with the somewhat concerned gaze of the young doctor.

She took a moment to realize that tears were already welling up in her eyes...

"What's wrong? Why are you crying like that?"

"Dreaming..." She smiled and rested her head on his chest...

……

"The Prefect of Changzhou reported that the floods in the prefecture were extremely severe, the autumn harvest was a great tragedy, the rice ears were all empty husks, and the people were extremely distressed... The Empress commented: Dispatch Imperial Censor Liu Zhi to Changzhou to provide disaster relief."

"A great fire broke out at Changping Granary in Changshu County. The magistrate was unable to extinguish the fire effectively, and the entire area was destroyed by fire... The Empress issued an order: The Imperial Guards should be dispatched to Changshu to conduct a thorough investigation."

"The Right Vice Minister of War, Jia, reported that the military equipment along the Yangtze River is mostly complete. However, the Zhejiang Arsenal is suspected of selling military equipment illegally. The armor in the warehouse is of poor quality, the gunpowder is damp, the muskets explode when fired, and the rust on the cannons is in a terrible state... The Empress commented: Investigate thoroughly. Vice Minister Jia need not return to the capital."

"A secretary in the Ministry of Works submitted a memorial stating that the cannons along the river were undamaged, and requested the purchase of another thirty cannons to be deployed at Jiangpu City... The Empress commented: Deploy them on warships, and do not cross the river for the time being."

"Cui Xianghai of the Ministry of Rites reported that the Northern Dynasty was as firm as a rock on the matter of the marriage alliance, and all other matters had been discussed and settled. The Northern Empire sent a letter to Nanjing... The Empress commented: Our Dynasty has made too many concessions on the matter of grain. Let's discuss it again. She also commented: Minister Cui, you must not mention the words 'marriage alliance' again. Be careful."

……

……

Inside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Cuiwei put down the pen she was using to mark her work and rubbed her slightly sore wrist.

From September 20th to October 24th.

Every day, he would attend court, then retreat to the Qianqing Palace to review the endless stream of memorials.

Many of her memorials had already been reviewed by the cabinet; all she needed to do was stamp them.

But titles and positions should not be given to others. If one relaxes, the cabinet may be diligent and selfless for the first few days or even months, but as time goes on, it may inevitably cultivate cronies and abuse public power for private gain.

As Zhu Cuiwei reviewed the memorials, she piled them up together, her heart feeling slightly heavy.

She and her brother, the emperor, exposed Jia Shi'an and Xu Long to their secrets.

The situation along the river has been far from optimistic since the two men began their patrols over the past month. Many areas south of the Yangtze River have also suffered from floods, making it difficult to gather enough provisions for the northern expedition.

Originally, he planned to recall Grand Tutor Gu to concurrently serve as Minister of Personnel. However, after discussing with his elder brother, the Emperor, he reassigned Gu Xichuan, the governor of Yunhu, to be the governor of Huguang. In this year's bumper harvest in Huguang, he was responsible for supervising the grain supply and was required to raise enough provisions to support an army of 50,000 for a year.

Zhu Cuiwei pursed her lips, silently considering these matters in her mind.

Around 3 PM.

An old eunuch came to report, saying, "The Empress Dowager requests your presence."

Zhu Cuiwei looked at the expressionless old eunuch and said nothing more, only saying, "I understand." The old eunuch then took his leave.

The Qianqing Palace was quiet.

Zhu Cuiwei rubbed her face.

He pulled a slightly crumpled piece of paper from his pocket.

This piece of paper was written secretly by the young doctor in her study after she returned home that night, on the day of her first county examination. It was revised several times before it was finally completed.

Starting from September 6th, members of the royal family kept bringing up the "state of the nation" with her. From that day on, an idea began to sprout in her mind, and it wasn't until that night that she finally wrote it down.

A solemn expression appeared on Zhu Cuiwei's fair face.

She unfolded the paper, took a new folding book, copied the contents of the paper onto it, and wrote the date... Finally, she picked up the Imperial Seal of the State, dipped it in ink, and stamped it onto the folding book...

……

When we arrived at Yongshou Palace.

The setting sun bathed the yellow glazed tiles of Yongshou Palace in a golden glow.

Upon entering the main hall, as expected, a group of Zhu clan members were standing on both sides.

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" The crowd bowed to her reluctantly.

She slowly walked into the main hall.

……

……

When she left Yongshou Palace, it was almost nightfall. She glanced at the sky, went back to the warm pavilion of Qianqing Palace to change into casual clothes, and then returned home from the palace.

Tonight, the preserved fish that Mother sent from Li Village was all eaten. Qinghuan even licked her fingers in a very unladylike manner, which made her and the young doctor laugh.

The young doctor needed to study for the exam, so she read "A Brief History of the Later Zhao Dynasty" in the study.

It wasn't until midnight, when the night was deep, that the two put down their books, walked back to their room to rest, chatting and laughing under the soft moonlight.