Chapter 214: The Flourishing Age

Although Rong Yin wanted to settle the score with Prince Jing, the Emperor still favored him.

The most Rong Yin could do was give Prince Jing a scare; he didn’t dare do anything more.

Everyone enjoyed the New Year’s Eve dinner, and afterward, they all stayed up to welcome the new year.

Prince Jing had accidentally eaten too much. He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his round, bulging stomach.

"It’s only been a little over a year, but it feels like so many years have gone by."

The Emperor seized power, the Empress Dowager died, and he vanquished both the Xirong and the Beimeng. Each event felt like it should have taken a very long time, yet it all happened in the span of just over a year.

The Emperor had grown into a true sovereign, and his own son had become one of His Majesty’s trusted and capable ministers. Just over a year ago, their family had been struggling to survive, caught in the crossfire of the power struggle between the Empress Dowager and the Regent King.

Back then, they couldn’t have even dreamed of the life they led now.

Xiao Yang chuckled softly but said nothing. The light in her eyes, however, had clearly dimmed.

’A little over a year... I’ve actually been living in this world for over a year...’

SMACK!

She raised her hand and irritably slapped away Mu Yunlian’s, which had been secretly squeezing her palm.

She shot him a glare, telling him to knock it off.

But Mu Yunlian, that fox, had no idea what "knock it off" meant. His gaze was fixed on her, so intense it was practically tangible, as if he was afraid people *wouldn’t* know the Emperor had a thing going on with him.

After midnight, the new year arrived, and Xiao Yang could finally go to sleep. This time, she was the one to take Mu Yunlian’s hand, and the two of them returned to Zichen Palace together.

Prince Jing glanced at the pair, then at the solitary Rong Yin. He opened his mouth to say something, but in the end, even a wisecracker like him managed to hold his tongue.

Mocking the man at a time like this would be a little too cruel.

’Poor guy.’

Mu Yunlian had already had enough sleep. After getting into bed, he wasn’t the least bit tired. He just propped his head on his hand and stared at Xiao Yang.

But Xiao Yang paid him no mind. She was utterly exhausted and fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

Mu Yunlian couldn’t resist pinching her cheek. "Is Your Majesty so at ease with me?"

He suddenly adopted a wicked expression. "Aren’t you afraid I’ll rebel and usurp the throne?"

Xiao Yang was too tired to even muster the energy to laugh at him. "Go on, give it your best shot. If you kill me, maybe I’ll even get to transmigrate back home."

Xiao Yang was so sleepy she was practically delirious, the words slipping out without a thought. But while the speaker was careless, the listener took it to heart. Mu Yunlian’s expression changed instantly.

’Transmigrate back?’

’Impossible.’

Mu Yunlian pulled her into an embrace, like a giant python coiling around to guard its most precious treasure. His long, narrow, cold eyes locked onto her sleeping face.

’She can’t just come crashing into my world only to drift away again so easily.’

’They were from two separate worlds, yet fate had allowed them to meet again. I will hold on to her tightly and never, ever let her go.’

’That’s why she has to be the Emperor—like the most brilliant morning sun in the sky, visible to all. That way, no one will ever let her disappear.’

-------

Mu Yunlian spent the next three nights with Xiao Yang. It wasn’t until he had to leave the palace on business that Rong Yin saw an opening and slipped in.

Xiao Yang didn’t indulge him in the slightest and promptly showed him the door.

"I don’t like overly clingy men. For the time being, I want to be alone."

’Stop trying so hard to tempt me. What’s the point if I can look but can’t touch?’

’It’s so annoying.’

’Right now, I’m a completely heartless woman.’

The Emperor was busy before the New Year, and even busier after it was over.

There were ancestral rites, offerings to the Agricultural God, the spring plowing, and the imperial examinations.

Xiao Yang was so busy she barely knew which way was up. It wasn’t until the Lantern Festival that she finally got a moment to breathe.

During the Lantern Festival, when it was time to view the decorative lanterns, the Emperor was certain to leave the palace. This meant it was gossip time for everyone, as they waited to see who the Emperor would be with this year.

Rong Yin and Mu Yunlian were also secretly competing for the spot. Li Wei had already reserved the role of guard, and Xu Xingchen, now fully recovered from his injuries, made a rare appearance as well.

But in the end, the Little Emperor invited Grand Tutor Xu, Prime Minister Song, Prince Jing, and the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. He extravagantly booked an entire building for them all to watch the scholars attempt the challenges.

This year, Xiao Yang had instructed the Ministry of Rites to prepare a long series of challenges stretching from the city gates all the way to Dengyun Pavilion—a total of eighty-one obstacles.

There was a prize for passing each obstacle, and anyone who completed them all would receive a mysterious grand prize provided by the Emperor himself.

The event had been advertised in the newspapers ever since construction began. Now, it wasn’t just people from the Capital City; scholars from all the surrounding cities had flocked here as well, eagerly awaiting this day.

An Announcement Officer from the Ministry of Rites was holding a large megaphone and giving a live report on the progress.

"Our frontrunner is leading the pack! He has now broken through the thirty-second obstacle! Wow, he’s past it and is now entering the thirty-third!"

"The other contestants are in hot pursuit! Three of them have just flooded into the thirty-second obstacle. Will they be able to overtake the leader? Let’s wait and see!"

Xiao Yang raised an eyebrow. "This Announcement Officer is pretty interesting."

Zhou Jing cupped his hands in a salute. "My son is still a bit immature. I hope he hasn’t embarrassed himself in front of Your Majesty."

’So he’s Minister Zhou’s son.’

Xiao Yang replied, "He’s great. This is exactly the kind of talent we need for an occasion like this."

Zhou Jing appeared calm, but he was inwardly very nervous. He only breathed a sigh of relief after he was certain the Emperor was telling the truth.

He had selfishly placed his son in this position and was terrified that if His Majesty became displeased, both father and son would be done for.

Aside from the eighty-one obstacles, Xiao Yang had also arranged for numerous exhibits. Two massive cannons, guarded by the Black Dragon Cavalry, were displayed among the crowd. The dark, gaping muzzles of the cannons and the imposing cavalrymen were without a doubt the most eye-catching sight on the street.

Eight buildings in the surrounding area had been renovated and converted into exhibition halls.

There was a Xirong exhibit, a Beimeng exhibit, and two other halls displaying special gifts sent from various other nations.

Admission was normally charged, but for the Lantern Festival, entry was free.

People of all statuses, high or low, could enter and see the unique treasures of other nations.

The remaining four were dedicated to agriculture, engineering, medicine, and a Hall of Fame.

The agriculture exhibit was organized by Xie Liuzheng and her team. It mainly showcased the different agricultural crops of the north and south, explaining which were best suited for certain regions, which needed to be rotated, and how to protect grain from pests.

The engineering exhibit was handled by the Ministry of Industry. This had been a year of immense pride for them. The weapons that had awed the world had all come from their ministry. They were no longer just carpenters and masons who only fixed houses; they were military engineers who built armaments.

In addition to weaponry, they also unveiled bicycles. Two of them, built by Prince Jing himself, were being ridden around the Ministry of Industry’s exhibition area.

They didn’t need a horse to pull them; a simple push of the legs sent them a great distance. Their speed and convenience were plain to see, and they drew just as much attention as any of the other exhibits.

The medicine exhibit was set up as a three-story medical hall filled with all kinds of medicinal herbs. Today, all the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital were seated in a row, diagnosing patients, writing prescriptions, and dispensing medicine for free.

As for the Hall of Fame, its concept was even simpler. It profiled the most famous figures of the day.

There was an entry for War God Li Wei, detailing his life and major battles, and one for Grand Tutor Xu, listing the prominent figures he had taught throughout his life.

There were also great scholars who had already passed away, their legacies immortalized in writing.

Finally, there were many empty plaques. They bore no names, only a few lines of text: "These places await the next to rise to fame. The future is unwritten; you and I could be the dark horses."

Anyone who took a stroll through it came out feeling completely fired up.

A single glance down the main street revealed a bustling sea of people, their shoulders brushing as they passed.

The street was ablaze with brilliant, colorful lights.

It was a golden age of prosperity, visible to the naked eye.

Xiao Qing knew he was a hostage, but after giving him a place to live, the Emperor had completely ignored him. Today, Xiao Cheng had come to accompany him on an outing. The reason he gave was that if Xiao Qing were to be assassinated, the Emperor couldn’t be bothered to explain it to his father.

Xiao Qing had never imagined an Emperor could be so unconventional, nor had he ever pictured the Capital City in such a magnificent state. From the chatter of the crowds, he gathered that this wasn’t the city’s original state of affairs, but a golden age of prosperity brought about by the Emperor.

Even though he had seen it all with his own eyes, he now found the Emperor to be more mysterious than ever.