Chapter 183: It’s Purely A Misunderstanding

She spoke as she rose from her seat.

It was then that he noticed she was wearing a green Xiang skirt with a winding grass pattern. As she took a step forward, the hem of her skirt swayed like gentle ripples, and she walked directly to his side, circling him and examining him from head to toe.

Wei Liang felt a chill down his spine.

When she stood in front of him, he didn’t dare to look up; when she stood behind him, his back was as stiff as a stone pillar.

Jiang Xuening’s acquaintance with Wei Liang in her previous life was purely a misunderstanding.

At that time, Prince Shen Die had just ascended the throne and was taking her to the markets in the capital. They encountered a group of merchants from overseas, selling strange-looking fruits on the street.

A crowd had gathered to watch.

But few were willing to spend money to buy the fruits.

Jiang Xuening and Shen Die were just watching the commotion when they saw a scholar, not very tall or strong, squeezing through the crowd to the merchants, saying he wanted to buy not only the fruits but also their seeds.

A heated discussion ensued, but they couldn’t agree on a price.

The scholar’s face turned red with frustration, yet he seemed determined to get the fruits and seeds, refusing to leave.

It was Zheng Bao who recognized him and whispered to Prince Shen, “Isn’t this the Wei Liang you appointed in the recent examination?”

Shen Die then took a serious look.

Jiang Xuening was also surprised.

Shen Die, after some thought, had Zheng Bao help the peculiar scholar by paying for the fruits and seeds, and then invited him over for a conversation.

Shen Die, being the emperor, didn’t remember people well, but as a scholar, Wei Liang recognized Zheng Bao from the imperial examination ceremony and immediately stepped forward to pay his respects.

Fortunately, Shen Die stopped him in time.

Then, very puzzled, he asked Wei Liang what he intended to do with such a pile of odd things.

Wei Liang, sweating, explained that he had an unusual hobby of studying agricultural matters and hoped the emperor wouldn’t mind.

Prince Shen looked at the fruits in Wei Liang’s arms and shook his head.

Whether he thought Wei Liang was neglecting his duties or had other thoughts, he didn’t punish him. He simply said, “It’s fine to have some hobbies outside of official duties. Take them back and study them. After all, I paid for them. If you discover something useful, remember to bring it to the palace. I may not like it, but the empress has a sweet tooth and might enjoy it.”

Jiang Xuening, standing behind him, felt embarrassed and wanted to retort but couldn’t, so she swallowed her frustration.

Wei Liang, however, breathed a sigh of relief. After Shen Die and Jiang Xuening returned to the palace, the matter was forgotten amidst the palace intrigues.

But the following summer, while Jiang Xuening was teaching some mynah birds to talk outside the Kunning Palace hall, she saw the head of the Imperial Household Department bringing several eunuchs carrying something.

It turned out to be a variety of strange fruits.

One of them was covered in spikes, resembling a giant mace.

She learned that it was a gift from Wei Liang, a scholar at the Hanlin Academy, who had asked the emperor to send it to her.

Jiang Xuening had completely forgotten the previous incident. After the eunuchs left, she and the palace maids spent a long time examining the fruits.

Some were delicious, while others were not prepared correctly.

Eventually, everyone’s attention focused on the spiky fruit, which they learned was called durian. They had to cut open the outer shell to eat the flesh inside, so they had a young eunuch bring a knife to open it.

The result…

The smell was so overwhelming that it nearly knocked out everyone in Kunning Palace, leaving a lasting impression on Jiang Xuening!

She was furious, thinking that Wei Liang, who seemed honest, was actually more outrageous than the old ministers who opposed her in court. She believed he was deliberately trying to humiliate her!

One day, during a banquet in the imperial garden, Jiang Xuening found an opportunity to speak with Wei Liang alone.

Wei Liang, seemingly unaware of the trouble he had caused, even asked Jiang Xuening how she liked the fruits.

Jiang Xuening almost ordered him to be executed on the spot.

But since he was the emperor’s personally appointed scholar, she couldn’t act openly against him. So, she smiled insincerely and told him that she liked the fruits very much. She suggested that since he was so interested in fruits and vegetables, it would be a waste for him to stay in the Hanlin Academy. Why not go out and serve the people as an official, teaching them how to farm? She even offered to speak to the emperor on his behalf.

Any sensible official would have been terrified by such words, as they were clearly a threat.

Staying in the Hanlin Academy was a prestigious position, often leading to high-ranking roles in the capital. Being sent to a provincial post was considered a demotion and a tough job.

Unexpectedly, Wei Liang, after a moment of surprise, was overjoyed. His face lit up, and he stammered, “How could I trouble you, Your Highness?”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t understand his reaction.

She continued to mock him, but Wei Liang, whether genuinely clueless or pretending to be, thought she was praising him and smiled even more brightly.

In the end, Jiang Xuening, confused and seeing that he wasn’t angry at all, left in a huff.

That night, she complained to Shen Die.

She described Wei Liang as a sycophant and suggested sending him to a remote province to reflect on his actions and indulge his love for farming.

Shen Die comforted her, telling her not to be angry.

Jiang Xuening thought Shen Die was still partial to the annoying Wei Liang.

But the next day, she heard that Shen Die had issued an order during the morning court session, transferring Wei Liang from the Hanlin Academy to be the county magistrate of Gaoyou.

Jiang Xuening was delighted. Shen Die didn’t say much, but during dinner, he smiled at her and asked if she was satisfied.

Jiang Xuening was overjoyed.

She thought that with Wei Liang as an example, no one would dare to provoke her again.

However…

Just a year later, when the Ministry of Revenue reviewed the provincial taxes, they were shocked to find that Gaoyou County’s grain tax had doubled compared to the previous year!

For the first time, Jiang Xuening began to suspect that fate was playing tricks on her.

The entire court was stunned by Gaoyou County’s situation. Some suspected that Wei Liang had increased the people’s taxes, while others thought there was some hidden corruption. Shen Die was also surprised and sent people to investigate.

The investigation results shocked everyone.

Wei Liang’s success was due to his genuine skills. After following County Magistrate Wei Liang’s farming methods, Gaoyou County’s rice yield doubled, allowing them to pay more grain to the court.

Naturally, Wei Liang was urgently summoned to the capital.

If Gaoyou County’s increased rice yield could be replicated, the entire Daqian Dynasty would never face famine again.

For two days, Jiang Xuening was extremely worried.

She thought that Wei Liang’s rise to power would not be good for her and was contemplating how to deal with him when the eunuchs from the Imperial Household Department arrived with something.

It was three baskets full of high-quality salted duck eggs from Gaoyou.

The eunuch said that County Magistrate Wei Liang had specially sent them to her as a token of gratitude for her recommendation.

Jiang Xuening was stunned.

She couldn’t tell if this was mockery or sarcasm.

But it seemed Wei Liang was completely unaware of her previous anger and malice, and he genuinely appreciated her “kindness.” After being promoted three ranks to a key position in the Ministry of Revenue, he often praised the empress as a rare good person, saying that others misunderstood her. He frequently sent fresh fruits to the capital, so much so that the imperial kitchen didn’t need to buy any from outside.

Thus, Jiang Xuening inexplicably gained the loyalty of a capable official who was revered by the people as their true “provider.”

She couldn’t help but think—

Others really didn’t misunderstand me, but Wei Liang, you have deeply misunderstood me!

However, given that it was an unexpected gain, she decided to accept it. Besides, Wei Liang’s mind seemed to be focused only on studying and farming, with no sensitivity to court politics.

Others thought he was her confidant.

Jiang Xuening had to rack her brains to mediate for him, cleaning up his messes and protecting him whenever he offended someone or was schemed against.

Sometimes she wondered: Who is the superior here, me or Wei Liang?

Over time, this simple-minded person became utterly devoted to her.

Whether it started as a misunderstanding no longer mattered.

Regardless of how the political situation changed, people like Wei Liang were always favored by those in power and indispensable to the people. So Jiang Xuening thought that even if she fell from power in her previous life, Wei Liang’s fate wouldn’t be bad.

At worst, he would return to his hometown to farm.

Which he liked anyway.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening stared at him, feeling very conflicted. After a while, she forced a seemingly kind smile and said, “Master Wei, I asked you a question.”

Wei Liang shivered, “I… I…”

Jiang Xuening used the patience she had in her previous life to coax fools, “Who told you that?”

Wei Liang wished he could dig a hole and bury himself, “I… I was just worried, no one told me.”

Jiang Xuening: “…”

Don’t stop me, I want to beat this guy up!

Her eyelid twitched several times. She raised her hand to press it lightly, barely maintaining a facade of kindness, and insincerely praised, “Master Wei, you are truly a thoughtful person.”

Wei Liang didn’t catch the underlying meaning and thought she was genuinely praising him.

He replied earnestly, “I dare not accept such praise. I am merely considering the welfare of the people. If the crops are abundant but the country is in chaos, wouldn’t that be a loss?”

“……”

Jiang Xuening took a deep breath.

“Rest assured, I wouldn’t dare to associate with the Tianjiao sect even if I were out of my mind. Your worries are unfounded.”

Wei Liang immediately sighed in relief. “In that case, I was overthinking. Since you say so, I believe you.”

He took out the account book from his sleeve and handed it to her.

“This is the account of the current season’s grain harvest that I withheld. Please forgive my rashness.”

The account book, previously tied to his arm, still carried a trace of warmth.

Jiang Xuening looked at him as if he were a fool.

Wei Liang was puzzled. “Is there something wrong?”

After a long pause, Jiang Xuening finally said, “You came all this way just to ask this question, and you believe whatever I say without any evidence?”

“Oh.” Wei Liang seemed to realize this, but to Jiang Xuening’s surprise, he didn’t ask for further evidence. Instead, he smiled, bowed, and said, “To be honest, I don’t think you are someone who would lie. Although the tenants on the farm haven’t met you, you have never treated them unfairly or charged high rents. I was in a dilemma, thinking that if someone as kind as you were working for the Tianjiao sect, I wouldn’t know what to do. Since you say you are not, I believe you.”

“……”

In her previous life, this man survived thanks to her support behind the scenes.

Jiang Xuening looked up at the sky, speechless.

She decided to assign a few more capable people to Wei Liang’s side to prevent him from getting into trouble. Then she changed the subject, “Since you’re here, would you like some tea?”

Wei Liang quickly declined, “No, I have other matters to attend to.”

Jiang Xuening thought for a moment, “Are you preparing for the autumn examination?”

Wei Liang paused, as if trying to recall what the “autumn examination” was, then smiled and said, “The autumn examination is not urgent. I can take it casually. But the rice has been harvested, and I need to go back and see if I can plant some wheat in the winter or try growing something called potatoes. They grow quickly, and…”

Jiang Xuening felt a wave of exhaustion, as if a thousand birds were chirping in her ears, making her head spin. She couldn’t tell if she was in Shu or Jiangning, and she felt like she was about to slip.

After a while, Wei Liang finished speaking.

He looked at Jiang Xuening with bright eyes and asked, “What do you think?”

Jiang Xuening snapped back to reality, not daring to admit she hadn’t understood a word. Remembering how she dealt with him in her previous life, she smiled brightly and said, “I think it’s a great idea!”

Wei Liang immediately became excited. “Then I’ll go back and do just that!”

He bowed and left without any intention of staying.

Lian’er and Tang’er were left bewildered.

Jiang Xuening’s smile vanished, and she asked them, “What did he say he was going to plant?”

The two looked at each other and shook their heads.

Fine, let him plant whatever he wants.

Jiang Xuening opened the account book Wei Liang had handed her and glanced at the final figures. Her delicate eyebrows slowly furrowed: two years had passed, and the situation with the Tatars should be emerging. In business, she wasn’t as skilled as You Fangyin from her previous life, but she didn’t need to hedge her bets. Supporting Yan Lin alone reduced the pressure by half. She just didn’t know if it would be enough or if it would be in time.

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