She accidentally flirted with the villain and was fiercely criticized as the regent for forcibly mar

I experienced what it means to have a sore back and weak legs for the first time when I woke up early this morning.

It was a unique, yet surprisingly good experience. Looking at the snoring rascal on the bed, Xiao Che recalled her alluring and wild charm from the previous night. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he leaned down to kiss her lips: "You naughty girl!"

He got up quietly, washed up and changed his clothes before going to court.

Before leaving, she specifically instructed the housekeeper: "The furnishings and arrangements in the room must not be changed."

She's going back today.

Leaving behind her traces and scent may offer some solace in the dead of night when she is not around.

The head maid replied, "This servant knows. I will not touch anything that belongs to Your Highness."

Xiao Che discovered that he seemed particularly easy to please; as long as he could be tied to her, he could be happy.

The people of Northern Liao did not leave.

Neither the government nor the public dared to relax their vigilance.

The newly widowed Princess Xinyang was chosen as the princess to be sent as a bride for the peace treaty.

Xinyang tried to commit suicide, but it didn't change the outcome of the song; he could only accept it.

Unwilling to die, he naturally wanted to bring plenty of burial goods. In addition to Cui Jingwei, he also selected five concubines from noble royal families to accompany him in his dowry.

The Empress Dowager insisted on including Zheng Lingyi in the package, using the excuse that she couldn't accept the title of princess for nothing.

However, Yelü Jing refused to cooperate, saying that their horoscopes were incompatible and that bringing them together would bring misfortune to Northern Liao: "Empress Dowager of Great Zhou, don't push your luck! I, the Crown Prince, have said no, and that's final!"

The Empress Dowager was at her wit's end and was furious.

Besides giving Xinyang a large dowry that wouldn't last long, he also had to compensate for the princess Yelü Jing had chosen who had lost her chastity, so he secretly moved his concubine away.

To help the Empress Dowager make up for her losses, officials eagerly offered tributes. After that, they turned around and began to plunder from those below them. This plundering continued at every level, causing great suffering to the common people and merchants far from the capital!

In Daning Prefecture, far from the capital.

Jiang Ruining frowned as he watched the shop assistants and manager, the roadside vendors, and the thugs constantly clashing with those demanding protection money.

This is the most prosperous area in Daning Prefecture, patrolled by constables all day long. If they dare to charge protection fees here, it must be at the behest of the government.

It seems that the Empress Dowager's daughter's marriage and the subsequent extortion of compensation by Yelü Jing have ultimately been borne by the common people!

Even if she didn't authorize it, how could she not even know what kind of people her officials were? What right did she have to wield power?

Wanting to become an empress? That's just wishful thinking!

Now that the young emperor is no longer causing trouble, hopefully he can deal with the Empress Dowager's faction soon!

"New information!"

Yunmi goes to the teahouse every day, takes a stroll in the lively area, and then comes back to tell everyone about the latest happenings.

Jiang Ruining was looking at the accounts, and without even looking up, said, "Speak."

Yun Mi's eyebrows danced with excitement: "I heard from a merchant who came back from Liuli Kingdom that after the Crown Prince of Northern Liao left the capital with the compensation he had swindled from the Empress Dowager, he secretly went to Liuli Kingdom, exchanged it for grain, and planned to smuggle it back to Northern Liao."

"They encountered the Liang army halfway there, and a battle ensued. The Northern Liao were not defeated; their supplies were completely looted, and their entire army was nearly wiped out!"

Jiang Ruining paused while writing.

Without a doubt, Xiao Che's men were secretly watching Yelü Jing, and he also revealed Yelü Jing's whereabouts to the Liang Kingdom: "The Great Zhou still needs to recuperate and recover, and must not lose a single soldier to take back the sixteen lost prefectures. We must keep our promise and not participate in the war."

She laughed, "But the enemy of my enemy is my friend. If friends want to stand by me, how can Great Zhou offer no support or assistance?"

Yunmi nodded and continued, "I also heard that the procession that was welcoming the princess back for the peace treaty was robbed halfway, and the bride and six concubines were lost. The dowry also disappeared overnight."

The bride and her six concubines have also disappeared?

Jiang Ruining guessed that it was Xiao Cheqian who did it!

In the book, he advocates for resolving problems with violence rather than using women to buy temporary peace!

Xinyang is the Empress Dowager's daughter, so it's impossible for her to go back to a life of peace and wealth. It's estimated that she will lose her memory and then be placed in a farmhouse to live a life of hard work.

As for the six concubines, those who were gentle and kind were given a new identity and returned to their parents' side to continue being their daughters, while those who were dishonest were given the same hardships as Xinyang!

"Yelü Jing went through all that trouble, but brought nothing back. Not only will his father call him a good-for-nothing, but his brothers will also take the opportunity to suppress him. Very well, that's the price of arrogance!"

Yunmi said earnestly, "It's not the price of arrogance, it's the price of doing evil!"

The girl was arrogant too.

But she doesn't harm anyone, so of course there shouldn't be any consequences!

Jiang Ruining smiled and said, "There's taro roasting in the charcoal brazier. Eat it and then go play!"

It was snowing outside, and Yunmi walked in through the wind, feeling cold inside.

Hearing that there was something fragrant and hot to eat, he was overjoyed and grabbed the fire tongs to start poking around in the charcoal brazier.

"Ningning." Chu Jin, disguised as a man, returned from outside: "The pharmacy's warehouse received another batch of medicinal herbs today. They have been registered and put into storage."

"The temples, nunneries, and Taoist temples have also sent another batch of rice and grain. The person in charge conveyed their gratitude to you, saying that they will start arranging the distribution of the rice and grain in the next few days and will tell the people that the rice and grain were all donated by you."

Jiang Ruining closed the ledger and rubbed her temples vigorously.

Over the course of more than a month, large quantities of rice and grain were transported in, but this amount was far from sufficient to meet the needs of the vast population of Daning Prefecture.

Her secret departure from the country was for the original owner's second wish: to become famous throughout the world.

This year, Daning Prefecture suffered a poor harvest, but the government, fearing accountability from the imperial court, concealed the fact and did not apply for grain support for the jelly.

Farmers who normally rely on their labor to make a living may not even be able to survive the harsh winter if they tighten their belts. But in this harsh winter with food shortages, they are hit by a snow disaster that is rare in a century!

A small famine combined with a large snow disaster would inevitably increase the death toll by dozens of times. And outside the city walls of Daning Prefecture was the hungry and covetous Zhao State. If they infiltrated the gaps and stirred up trouble, a riot would surely break out, and then the Zhao State would take advantage of the situation to invade.

In the book, the officials of Daning Prefecture either fled or fought to the death. They were defeated, the city fell, and six prefectures were massacred, with corpses strewn all over the land!

It was at this critical moment that the male protagonist was appointed to lead troops to provide support, and was thus promoted and ennobled.

This time.

She's not stealing the female lead's love anymore; she's stealing the male lead's!

But how could it be enough to just have Xiao Che prepare medicine and food for her?

Only by participating in disasters and suffering can the people know her, remember her, and be grateful to her, and only then can her fame be truly achieved.

otherwise.

She had already fulfilled the other two wishes terribly, but if she didn't do this one well, she and the original owner of the body would both be destroyed!

I wonder if Xiao Che read the letter he left behind.

Will she listen and let her handle things here herself?

I hope he will listen to me, and I hope she can successfully help the people here get through the impending natural disaster, and then... face his temper!

After all, this guy has never had a good temper!

"The grain should still be sent to the major temples and relief centers. Our medicine hall and warehouse doors should be carefully inspected again and reinforced to withstand heavy blows. Traps and archer positions should be set up in all hidden places."

Hoarding rice is too ambitious, considering the large number of people who need to eat it.

Once a natural disaster strikes, and hunger and cold prevail, her warehouse will be the first place to be attacked and breached by civilians and madmen, resulting in heavy losses.

She wasn't afraid of losses, but she was afraid of failing to complete the original owner's mission and that the two of them would be reduced to ashes!

She vaguely remembered that the book mentioned that after the war, some people lamented that in the six months or so before the natural disaster, there were various warnings that overlapped with the records in the county, such as poor harvest, insect infestation, lightning striking a Buddhist temple, and the only candidate in the area failing the exam...

So after she arrived, she borrowed the local county gazetteer and brought up the events that had already occurred to remind the people and the government.

but.

Clearly, very few people believe it.

Even among merchants who rely on luck for profit, very few are hoarding rice or medicinal herbs.

Therefore, she could only try to stockpile more supplies and then send them to temples, nunneries, Taoist temples, and charitable organizations in a grand manner under the guise of donations. The greater the disaster, the more the victims hated and feared the gods and Buddhas, and the less they dared to plunder and loot in those places. In this way, the people could receive alms.

Her efforts to warn of natural disasters and donate rice and grain were quite significant, and the people would inevitably think of her when they ate porridge.

Jiang Ruining's "fame" naturally spread!

She also prepared several warehouses and placed them in various counties of Daning Prefecture, believing that Xiao Che's people would arrange everything so that the people could have a bowl of thin porridge to get through the cold winter.

"The pharmacy is preparing to open tomorrow. The notice board has been put up, announcing that the resident doctor will provide free consultations for three days, and ordinary people will receive half-price medicine."

She looked at the plan that Xiao Che had helped her stockpile. There was only one local prescription, and it was very large. If a disaster were to occur, the medicine would not be enough to save everyone, but it could save many lives.

With limited ability and financial resources, all she could do was give it her all.

After giving the instructions.

Jiang Ruining decided to go out for another walk to get a feel for the surrounding area.

We also need to think of a way to make a big profit from the merchants here!

The post-disaster buffer period will also require a lot of money, but the Empress Dowager's faction will obviously not easily let that money come to Daning Prefecture.

Just as I was about to get up.

Then a fine brocade box landed in front of them, and when it was opened, a large stack of silver notes was inside!

"Where did all these silver notes come from?"

Looking up, she saw not Chu Jin or Zheng Lingyi, whom she had brought out, but the round-faced Ba Xi, dressed in a dusty and travel-worn manner.

dumbfounded.

Because when she left, she took July and Eleven Crane with her, as well as a team of guards from the Jiang family, but not Baxi!

I instinctively reached out and poured a glass of water, handing it to him.

"What are you doing here? When did you get here?"