After marrying the fierce god, her handsome young husband was pampered to the extreme.

Pearl was born prematurely due to fright, before she was even full-term.

Yan Ru's undercover agent, who had been lurking in Caixia City for nearly twenty years, was willing to expose himself in order to kill Yin Cheng's husband and child.

Giving birth is a life-or-death experience, so no one would suspect anything that happens.

Yin Cheng had told Lin Nian about the various forces in Caixia City. Lin Nian originally wanted to take this opportunity to completely eliminate Yan Ru's spies in the city, but she never expected that she would almost harm herself and her child.

He originally thought he had a foolproof plan, but he never expected that he would still fall into the enemy's trap.

He felt guilty for causing Pearl's premature birth.

Pearl is blessed with good fortune and a long life. Although she was born prematurely, she grew up to be fair and plump after receiving proper care.

Just then, Wang Rui came to pick up his younger brother and bring him back to the capital. Wang Zhao originally wanted Lin Nian to go with him.

Lin Nian refused.

He knew, of course, that he and Pearl would no longer have to live in fear every day after returning to the capital, but he still had his own things to do.

Although Caixia City has generals and civil officials, he doesn't need to worry about fighting enemies or handling government affairs.

He was well aware of his role.

He represented Yin Cheng.

As long as he is still here, it means that Yin Cheng is still here.

Whether they were the people of Caixia City or the covetous foreign tribes.

His stance is the same as Yin Cheng's stance.

If he escapes back to the capital, wouldn't that be telling the world that Yin Cheng is dead and Caixia City could fall at any moment?

Moreover, he also had his own selfish motives.

This is Yin Cheng's fiefdom, their shared home, and he will never back down an inch.

Seeing that Lin Nian wasn't leaving, Wang Zhao didn't want to leave either.

If he stays here, he can still talk to Lin Nian.

If he leaves, won't Lin Nian be lonely again?

Lin Nian, however, felt that he should go back. Lin Nian said, "Xiao Zhao, you've been out for a long time. Your little father must be very worried about you."

Wang Zhao was also conflicted, "But you're all alone..."

Lin Nian smiled, holding the sleeping Pearl in her swaddling clothes, and said softly, "Who said I'm alone? Pearl is here with me."

Wang Zhao said, "Alright, I'll come after I go back and see my little father. You wait for me."

Lin Nian chuckled and said, "Silly girl, don't come back after you return to the capital."

Wang Zhao's face immediately fell. "You're kicking me out, and you won't even let me come here anymore."

"Rainbow City is dangerous," Lin Nian said.

We don't know if Yan Ru will call back. If she does, the situation is extremely critical.

According to Yin Cheng, Yan Ru has a very powerful person helping them.

Without Yin Cheng, Lin Nian didn't really know if they could have defended the city.

He was unsure of himself, so how could he let Wang Zhao put himself in danger?

Wang Rui said, "Your staying here will only hold us back and hinder the Northern Army's ability to defend against foreign enemies."

Lin Nian and Lin San both frowned and looked at Wang Rui.

Wang Zhao seemed to be used to his older brother's teasing, his expression unchanged. He reluctantly poked Pearl's chubby cheek and said, "Alright then, I'll head back now."

Lin Nian nodded, then added with concern, "Don't wander off on the way back, be careful."

Wang Zhao responded in a muffled voice.

He glanced at Lin San again.

Before Lin San came to propose marriage, he could not have too much contact with him, otherwise it would be against etiquette.

Holding Pearl, Lin Nian stood with Lin San at the city gate to bid farewell to the Wang brothers.

Before leaving, Wang Zhaochao bowed slightly to Lin San, wanting to say goodbye.

Although I've already said this before, I have something else to say now.

He couldn't say much, worried that his brother would see through his scheme and then refuse to let him marry Lin San.

Lin San didn't look away until the Wang family's carriage disappeared down the pipe.

He felt very uncomfortable.

Although Wang Rui's words weren't wrong, he could have chosen a better way to talk to Wang Zhao, but instead he chose to belittle him to nothing.

Fortunately, Wang Zhao is easygoing; if it were a more sensitive young man, he might have become depressed.

It's anyone's guess what will happen if Wang Rui praises her younger brother.

Lin San considered it carefully. He was currently serving in Song County, and it would be difficult for him to be transferred given his current performance.

He's just a low-ranking official of the ninth rank now. The fact that the Wang family didn't kick him out when he came to propose marriage is only because they're related to the imperial family.

Lin San took a boat back to Song County that very night and studied the map of Song County by lamplight.

The population of Song County has never increased, partly because it is too close to Caixia City.

If Caixia City falls, Song County will be the first county to suffer.

Very few outsiders settle in Songxian County unless they are native locals.

Secondly, the people here live in hardship, with little food and few livestock.

To improve people's lives, we need to adapt to local conditions.

If Songxian's population increases this year, Lin San is confident he can be transferred away.

Every time Lin San came to visit his younger brother, Lin Nian noticed the dark circles under his eyes.

He felt sorry for his third brother and asked him about it, only to find out that his third brother was worried about people's livelihood.

Lin Nian suddenly remembered a booklet her husband had drawn in his spare time, which seemed to contain a modified waterwheel.

He didn't know if it would be useful, but he handed it to his third brother in the hope that it would help him.

When Lin San saw the waterwheel painted by Yin Cheng, he suddenly understood.

If a workman wants to be good, he must first sharpen his weapon.

Agriculture is the foundation of a nation.

If agriculture develops, there will be no shortage of people.

The booklet that Nian-ge gave me was a great help.

Whenever he had free time, Lin Sanyi visited several of his subordinate villages.

If you see someone growing crops well, humbly ask for their advice.

The farmers, who had spent their entire lives toiling in the soil, had never seen such a kind county magistrate before, and they wanted to tell him everything they knew.

Lin San's records accumulated to the point that they were eventually bound into volumes according to the types of crops.

He gathered these skilled farmers together, and after witnessing their abilities, had them teach in various villages.

Serving the county magistrate was a great honor, a cause for great pride and glory for one's ancestors.

Farming isn't some kind of secret skill, so these people are eager to share all their knowledge.

Lin San followed the palace's assessment system, selecting the village with the best harvest each year and rewarding each villager.

Since it was the first time, there weren't many people trying to cheat or shirk responsibility, so the system proceeded relatively smoothly.

With surplus grain in their hands and stable livelihoods, the population naturally increased.

It took Lin San two years to finally receive the transfer order.

This might be an achievement that others can only dream of for a lifetime, but for Lin San, two years is too long.

However, the transfer order was not to bring him back to the capital, but to appoint him as the prefect of Huining County in Song County.

If we follow Lin San's previous career path: county magistrate, prefect, and then governor. [Note 1]

He rose through the ranks, following the path expected of a powerful minister.

But he couldn't wait any longer.

Zhao Ge'er endured two years of hardship in the capital, rejecting all marriage proposals.

He couldn't let Zhao Ge'er wait any longer.

He needed to take advantage of the three months of free time during his transfer to marry Wang Zhao.

[Note 1]: This is a fictional world with a fusion of official titles. It's all made up, heavily fictionalized, and has no basis in reality. Again, don't try to learn history from a fictional story!