A Foodie Transmigrated into the Palace Chapter 1530 - 1528: Return to Jiangnan

The sunny March brings new life with grass growing and orioles flying; all things in the world are full of vitality.

Guangnan City is also unwilling to fall behind.

After Zhao Qichen returned to the capital, he issued a series of decrees to help Guangnan regain vitality.

These include: personally dispatching troops to repair damaged official roads, and the Ministry of Revenue distributing grain seeds needed for farming to disaster victims.

Additionally, he urged other unaffected provinces to contribute manpower and resources, and to donate money and goods.

As a result, the common people had no worries about food and clothing, engaging in livelihoods, and naturally were not idle.

As the saying goes, once people have a goal to strive for, they forget everything else.

Colluding for personal gain and disordering the world? Impossible!

Ordinary people can’t do such things; those who can have been thoroughly cleared.

Speaking of this, one must mention the Southern Ocean Kingdom.

The little barren island less than 200 miles off the southern coast of the Great Chu Dynasty.

The pirate nation that always coveted the prosperity and wealth of the Great Chu Dynasty.

The bandit that lay in the shadows, ready to seize another country’s interests, finally faced annihilation in its centennial year.

Yes, Zhao Qichen dispatched troops to slaughter the city—no, the entire country.

The people of the Southern Ocean Kingdom mostly had ebony skin, robust builds, with a naturally savage character.

They had the strongest physical builds but insurmountable intellectual deficiencies.

Indeed, heaven is fair.

Zhao Qichen originally intended to bring back tens of thousands of captives to serve as laborers and slaves.

But he found them dishonest, engaging in thievery, rape, murder—everything conceivable, with a scatterbrained mindset.

Thus, with a grand gesture, he continued to confine them in the Southern Ocean Kingdom.

Having them fish and labor over there, paying substantial tributes annually, keeping the remainder for themselves.

In this way, it was a win-win, resolving a major concern.

Of course, this treatment was reserved only for the innocent commoners of the Southern Ocean.

As for heads like Suobuno and the Southern Ocean royal family filled with malfeasance,

Zhao Qichen expressed that they would pay the price and be filled with regret.

So, they all died, and died tragically.

Suobuno’s treatment was particularly ’generous’; a valiant ghost wasn’t achieved, but a bear’s cowardly death was.

This feeble, deposed monarch is likely to be remembered by all future generations.

...

In the blossoming late March, flowers were blooming and vibrant with prosperity.

Just as Guangnan City flourished with vitality.

Zhao Junyao and Xia Ruqing withdrew in success.

They chose a sunny day to leave this place that carried countless joy and sorrow, life and death.

In a little oil-green carriage, the two wore cloth garments, resembling the most ordinary couple.

They leaned on each other, speaking calmly about life’s major events.

After speaking thoroughly, Xia Ruqing smiled as she emerged from the memories.

"Now it’s good, in the future... it’ll be just the two of us!"

"You won’t leave me again, will you!"

Zhao Junyao smiled with a pale face.

"Yes, I will accompany you in the future!"

"Where you want to go, we will go there?"

"Didn’t you previously want to go to Jiangnan and live in seclusion? I will join you!"

Xia Ruqing shook her head.

"I suddenly don’t want to live in seclusion!"

"Why?"

Zhao Junyao had always thought she longed for a life amidst mountains and rivers, just the two of them, growing old together.

But why did she suddenly change her mind? He was already prepared.

Xia Ruqing suddenly laughed.

"Have you heard this saying??"

"The greatest hermit hides oneself in the city!"

Zhao Junyao: "..."

He seems to have guessed something.

Looking into his eyes, Xia Ruqing smiled confidently.

"That’s right, I suddenly want to live this kind of life!"

"I want to be a regular person!"

Which was expected, Zhao Junyao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Alright!"

...

They are mortals, not immortals, especially Xia Ruqing, who herself is a common person.

Immortals live in seclusion, marrying plum wives with crane children, disengaged from worldly affairs, leaving no trace, secretive—they are not her style.

The hidden life she longed for was to plunge into the bustling life of the market streets.

To feel the most natural, most simple, and warmest market atmosphere.

They lived as a common couple, three meals a day, day after day, morning to evening.

In spring, they watched flowers bloom, grew vegetables, and busily roamed in the morning to rest in the sunset.

In summer, they fertilized and watered plants, chilled melons, fruits, and peaches in the well, watched moss climb the well rock, smelling its ancient aroma.

In autumn, they harvested together, swept fallen leaves, admired maple leaves in the woods, picked reeds by the river, finally embraced firewood in the chilly autumn wind returning home.

In winter, nestled in the cottage, they burned charcoal pans, buried roasted peanuts and sweet potatoes in it, laughing while eating, their cheeks reddened by the burning charcoal, like returning to the past.

Aren’t such days wonderful?

"Of course, they are wonderful!"

Xia Ruqing happily peeled several peanuts for Zhao Junyao, smilingly handing them over.

His health had worsened.

His face was frighteningly pale, even with the best imperial physician and skilled daughter-in-law treating him, no miraculous effects were visible.

At most, they could extend his life.

He knew it himself, so did she.

But neither spoke of it, living every day normally, eating whatever was meant to be eaten.

Both naively thought.

As long as they didn’t intentionally recall, they pretended it didn’t exist.

Such days were too beautiful; living one more day was a gain.

...

Speaking of Zhao Qichen.

In this year, he gained quite a lot.

The nearly thirty-year-old emperor remained single, causing ministers to almost pull their hair due to succession worries.

But no one expected.

The Emperor not only resolved the Guangnan issue but also brought back the Empress they esteemed the most.

Even though the Empress’s background was truly poor, at this moment, having her was good enough—who dared to nitpick?

Thus, Zhao Qichen ended his single life this year, and happily took a wife.

In this story, worthy of being called idyllic,

everyone was complete, except Lin Siyin.

She remained conflicted, so much that even she found it incredible.

As for the reason:

She couldn’t bear the change in identity and the disparity in status.

So, she felt overwhelmed.

She truly liked Qi Chen, but he was the emperor?!

She truly liked Qi Chen’s parents, but they were Taishang Huang and Empress Dowager.

Even her once good Friend Aunt Zi Yue was the chief steward beside the Empress Dowager.

Oh, heavens, what kind of family have you arranged for me? It’s too ’difficult to accept’!!

Though she loved wealth and indulged in comfort and ease, but... no need to give her such a wealthy family-in-law...!!

She couldn’t bear it!

"Siyin? You don’t look happy?"

The Emperor sat next to her, using what he thought was a gentle yet stiff expression to look at her.