Chapter 74 If you like me, I like you.

Chapter 74 If you like me, I like you.

Not only that, the emperor also bestowed upon them a house, the size of which was equivalent to several modern residences. It was a three-courtyard siheyuan, not only large in area but also with a much better view than their current houses.

The artificial hills connect to the ponds, and the pavilions, corridors, and winding paths lead to secluded spots. The carved wooden beams are paired with stone lions and drum-shaped stones, creating a magnificent and grand atmosphere. It's a pity that there aren't many of them; it's such a waste to give them such a large house to live in.

On that very day, a grand procession of rewards was sent to the new home, and many servants came to help with the move. Not only that, after Pei Wu was promoted, he was also provided with a carriage and sedan chair, and several servants were assigned to him.

Jiang Ru had gotten used to living here and didn't really want to move, but she had no choice but to move because of the emperor's decree. Moreover, the new home had many advantages: it was close to the palace and bordered the Imperial Street. Their new home was just across the street from the Song residence, making it much more convenient to visit each other in the future.

There weren't many things in the house, so they moved everything in a few trips. After nightfall, Jiang Ru and the others moved into their new home.

The new house was so big that Jiang Ru told them to each choose a room, while she and Pei Wu stayed in the original layout. However, the main hall in the middle was too big and far away, so they could no longer hear each other's movements.

Xia had already arranged everything for the new servants, and Jiang Ru stood in the storeroom, admiring the new rewards that had arrived that day.

There are no concubines in the harem now, so Jiang Ru has received a lot of jewelry, most of which are tributes from various places. They are so beautiful that they could be passed down as family heirlooms.

Everyone was dazzled, including Jiang Ru. She marveled at the row of rare treasures and couldn't help but ask Pei Wu, "If these treasures were sold, wouldn't they fetch more than ten thousand gold pieces?"

Pei Wu: "".

Even if she could sell them, Jiang Ru wouldn't be willing to part with them. After all, these pieces of jewelry were indeed very exquisite, and Jiang Ru liked them very much. In this light, it seems that the emperor had actually secured a lot of benefits for Jiang Ru. Although he didn't give her silver directly, it was as good as giving her silver.

The room was filled with a dazzling array of gifts, and Pei Wu's official decree was also delivered to his home. After his promotion, his attire had changed somewhat; the newly delivered leather belt was now a jade belt, with a crystal-clear white jade pendant at his waist, which made Pei Wu's demeanor even more noble.

Jiang Ru couldn't help but sigh. Pei Wu's promotion was just as fast as in her previous life. Although it was within Jiang Ru's expectations, she was still worried about him.

I don't understand why he usurped the throne. We're already living a good life. If he becomes emperor, he'll be subject to many restrictions. How could he have such a thought?

Don't think that just because the young emperor has little power and the empress dowager and others have absolute control, you want to join in the fun.

Jiang Ru looked at Pei Wu with a hint of hesitation. Speaking of the Empress Dowager, she hadn't seen her for days. Usually, when the Emperor came to the inner garden, he would be summoned away by the Empress Dowager's people not long after. Today, Chen Ling said that the Empress Dowager was ill, which explained why she hadn't appeared for so long.

Jiang Ru asked Pei Wu, "Do you know what happened to the Empress Dowager?"

Pei Wu paused for a moment, then said, "I suddenly fell ill with a fever a few days ago and was so sick that I couldn't get out of bed."

The Empress Dowager was at most thirty years old. Jiang Ru had seen her a few times. She had a very bright and beautiful appearance and was well-maintained. Usually, she was followed by a long procession and looked very imposing.

Since she was able to fight her way out of such a treacherous court, she shouldn't be the kind of person who is weak and frail. How come she suddenly became so ill that she couldn't get out of bed after only a few days?

Jiang Ru asked in confusion, "How long has she been sick?"

Based on the time since the Empress Dowager's absence, it had been at least half a month. Sure enough, Pei Wu's answer was the same: "More than half a month."

Let alone in ancient times, even in modern times, a fever lasting half a month would cause problems, and would damage the brain. It's normal to have a headache or fever when it's autumn and the seasons change, but why would it last this long?

The Empress Dowager must have a lot of people serving her, and she never lacks any kind of medicine. The imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are also the best in the Great Xia Dynasty. How could it not be good?

It is approximately...

Jiang Ru sensed she had uncovered some kind of conspiracy: "The Empress Dowager is ill, could it be because of...you?"

Pei Wu looked at her: "No."

If that were the case, Song Pingzhang might have already taken action. Therefore, the Empress Dowager's fever might really just be due to her physical condition.

For a moment, I didn't know whether I should hope that the Empress Dowager's illness would get worse, or perhaps this would be an opportunity for the political landscape to change.

Amidst the room full of treasures, Jiang Ru tugged at Pei Wu's sleeve: "Do you think the Empress Dowager will die?"

Pei Wu said, "Yes."

The Empress Dowager and the Emperor were not biologically related, and they only maintained a superficial peace. Behind the scenes, they might both want to kill each other. If the Emperor were to seize power in the future, he might not hesitate to do so.

The affairs of the imperial court were still too far removed from Jiang Ru's life. She knew little about them, let alone what would happen a few years from now. All she could say was, "I hope there will be a peaceful and prosperous era."

Without these people, the Great Xia might be better off.

Pei Wu was also one of the "those people" that Jiang Ru mentioned.

Jiang Ru found this even more puzzling, and she asked Pei Wu, "Is there anything you really want? It doesn't matter what it is, power or money."

Pei Wu's gaze fell on her face, his lips moved slightly, but for some reason he didn't say anything. He just looked at Jiang Ru with his clear eyes and said, "I only wish for the prosperity of the Great Xia Dynasty."

He almost repeated Jiang Ru's words again. Jiang Ru felt that he was very enlightened and nodded, saying, "That's right."

She then asked, "Do you want to be like the Empress Dowager? Second only to the Emperor."

Pei Wu shook his head: "I don't want to."

How could she not want to? Take Jiang Ru, for example. She loves money and hopes she can live well, and she also hopes Pei Wu can live well. She pointed to the jewelry in front of her and asked Pei Wu, "Do you like these?"

Pei Wu said, "If you like it, then I like it."

He just echoed Jiang Ru's words, and Jiang Ru asked again, "Do you want more?"

Pei Wu opened his mouth, and Jiang Ru knew what he was going to say without even thinking, so she said in advance, "You're not allowed to say 'I want it' and that's what you want."

Pei Wu shook his head, then nodded again.

"That's what you want," Jiang Ru said, squeezing Pei Wu's wrist through his clothes. "It's normal to want it. Just don't try to seize the throne like the Empress Dowager did. The Emperor is young, but I think he's doing a pretty good job."

Jiang Ru didn't want Pei Wu to be the regent; she just wanted him to be safe.

Pei Wu nodded: "I'll listen to you."

He always listened to Jiang Ru, and Jiang Ru agreed, "That's right."

Jiang Ru held Pei Wu's wrist tightly without letting go. From the row of jewelry, she found a bracelet—an agate bracelet with a faint fragrance. Pei Wu's wrist was as smooth as jade, and the agate bracelet was just the right size for him.

Jiang Ru put the agate bracelet on Pei Wu's wrist, and looked at Pei Wu's hand with satisfaction: "Very good, it's yours."

After saying that, she let go of Pei Wu's hand.

His sleeve quickly slipped down, obscuring the string of agate beads and revealing only Pei Wu's well-defined hand. He gently rubbed his wrist, as if Jiang Ru's body heat still lingered there.

Impulsively, Pei Wu asked, "Why did you give me this?"

Jiang Ru was gesturing to a jade hairpin when she heard this. Her clear, bright eyes lifted, and she said matter-of-factly, "It suits you. I've heard that agate has calming properties, so it'll be perfect for you."

That makes a lot of sense. Pei Wu lowered his eyes, looking at his hands, without making a move.

His gaze remained fixed on his hands, as if he wasn't quite satisfied. Jiang Ru assumed he didn't like them, so she tugged at his sleeve and pulled him closer, saying, "If you don't like them, you can get another one."

Pei Wu asked, puzzled, "If it's these..." He looked at the treasures on the table and gestured, "What if I want them all?"

Jiang Ru: "..."

She didn't understand what was wrong with Pei Wu, but she still said, "Take them all if you like them."

Pei Wu was determined to get to the bottom of it: "Why?"

Jiang Ru didn't understand why.

She racked her brains and finally said, "You're my cousin, everything I have is yours, you can have as much as you want."

Pei Wu stared at her for a long time before turning away. He didn't say whether he liked or disliked the agate beads; in any case, he didn't take them off.

Jiang Ru chased after him, completely bewildered, but received no answer. Pei Wu only said that he really liked the agate bracelet and didn't want anything else.

He seemed genuinely pleased, which finally stopped Jiang Ru, but she added reluctantly, "Take whatever you like, and if you want to buy anything, just ask me, and I'll give it to you."

Pei Wu gave a faint "hmm".

The moonlight was like water. Pei Wu was dressed in official robes, with Jiang Ru's agate bracelet on his wrist. Everything seemed normal, but Jiang Ru always felt that something was wrong with him.

There always seemed to be something between them; they were closer than before, yet it wasn't the same.

Jiang Ru couldn't understand him. She stared at Pei Wu for a long time and could only tell herself that Pei Wu had probably grown up and must have his own worries.

Now that the reward has been given, other tasks must continue.

Liaocheng had a bumper rice harvest, and Jiang Ru ordered farmers to harvest the rice planted outside the city. As for the rice in the palace, the emperor even led his officials to experience the harvesting process, which could be considered as helping out.

The rice harvested in Liaocheng has been put into the national treasury and will be distributed to various prefectures in a while for the first wave of planting.

As the autumn harvest season arrives and the weather gradually cools down, the rice harvest in Liaocheng comes to an end.

A few days ago, Jiang Ru roughly wrote down several key points from her past life's memories. In the tenth month of winter in the third year of Yuantai, the Yan Kingdom invaded the Great Xia Kingdom. The Great Xia Kingdom sent envoys to negotiate peace, and a peace agreement was reached the following spring.

The situation was not so serious if a peace agreement could be reached, so the more serious problem was the invasion by the Northern Qi and the Southern Frontier after the peace agreement was reached.

Jiang Ru knew all this, but she didn't know how to tell Pei Wu. Besides, she didn't know the details clearly. She only knew that the following years were not very peaceful, and things only became unstable after the seventh year of Yuantai. However, these things were still quite far away at the moment. The most recent event was the Yan Kingdom.

She could only hint at it to Pei Wu indirectly.

Both of them were in the study. Jiang Ru thought about the Northern Yan that they had talked about last year. At that time, Su Mu had said that the Northern Yan was not peaceful, but it was suppressed. Everyone felt that the Yan state was not a threat.

After she finished expressing her concerns, Pei Wu quickly understood: "You mean, Northern Yan will invade Great Xia?"

Jiang Ru said vaguely, "I can't say for sure, but I think it's highly likely."

Pei Wu tapped his knuckles lightly. The night was very quiet. He suddenly spoke up: "Four years ago, Northern Yan also sent troops to attack Great Xia. At that time, the late emperor sent Chen Ling to negotiate peace. A few months later, Northern Yan withdrew its troops, and the matter was suppressed."

Jiang Ru hadn't transmigrated at that time and didn't know that Northern Yan had once provoked them.

Pei Wu pondered for a moment and said, "At that time, the ruler of Northern Yan was seriously ill, and several princes had no choice but to withdraw their troops in order to compete for the throne."

At this point, Pei Wu changed the subject: "The second prince of Northern Yan ascended the throne last year. When he first took the throne, he was not yet powerful enough and only dared to test the Great Xia. Now that he has been on the throne for two years, he has probably eliminated all those who needed to be eliminated."

The next step is to expand the territory.

Jiang Ru was stunned: "You know?"

Pei Wu only said, "I was able to deduce this by listening to my cousin."

Jiang Ru inexplicably felt that nothing could be hidden from Pei Wu, as if she were showing off her limited skills in front of Pei Wu. So perhaps the peace talks in the previous life were also facilitated by Pei Wu. If that's the case, then there's no need to worry about these things for the time being.

However, Pei Wu continued, "If Northern Yan really sends troops, I might go to Northern Yan, and then..."

Pei Wu said softly, "Cousin, take good care of yourself."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ru immediately grasped Pei Wu's hand: "I want to go with you too."

Pei Wu struggled for a moment, but Jiang Ru held him even tighter.