Chapter 345: Refusing the Marriage

First, the emperor asked about Mu Nan Zhao's poisoning condition and the detoxification process.

It seemed like concern for his subjects, but in reality he wanted to confirm whether Mu Nan Zhao had truly been poisoned with a strange toxin originally.

If Mu Nan Zhao's poisoning was false, or not that severe, then his fake death and flight from the capital could indicate he had already detected the coup, and possibly even colluded with Huo Jiang long ago, which would explain his direct flight to the Northwest.

Second, who first proposed the Northwest Army's land reclamation?

If it was Huo Jiang who proposed it, then he likely had been plotting for a long time, already harboring hidden ambitions for the world, and for this purpose privately stockpiled military grain.

On the contrary, if it was Gu Xixi who acknowledged it, then Huo Jiang had long suffered from grain shortages, and to feed the whole army he had no choice but to seek out Gu Xixi; moreover, initially Huo Jiang did not fully trust Gu Xixi, it was merely a lucky break.

Gu Xixi is not versed in politics; with her mindset she could at most speculate about those points above.

As for imperial scheming, it is even more suspicious than that of ordinary people, and who knows how many possibilities the emperor might imagine.

Fortunately, everything done before was aboveboard, so Gu Xixi only needed to tell the truth.

By this point, what Huo Jiang, Mu Nan Zhao, and others said, as well as what the emperor's own investigators found, all matched up.

The emperor looked at Mu Nan Zhao with feeling and said, "Qi Xiu's journey from the capital to the Northwest truly was a narrow escape from death nine times over."

"Heaven has eyes; sending you to meet Miss Gu counts as a fortuitous encounter."

He then laughed and sighed, "Hearing about the detoxification process made my heart pound, but thankfully it was a scare without danger."

"Otherwise, who else could come to assist me?"

The emperor's words were indeed sincere.

Mu Nan Zhao rose, neither humble nor arrogant, and said, "Your Majesty is the legitimate bloodline of the previous emperor, endowed with both virtue and talent; even if I had died in the Northwest initially, Your Majesty would still be the sovereign sincerely upheld by the subjects of the great cause."

The emperor straightened his face, "Don't talk about dying or not dying; it's inauspicious!"

"You must live well, serve me as ruler and minister for a lifetime, and not think of quitting early!"

Mu Nan Zhao smiled, "Your Majesty is ten thousand years old; I am merely a mortal body, fearing I cannot keep up."

The emperor chuckled, "Sit, sit, I've told you many times—when it's just the two of us ruler and minister, no need for excessive ceremony!"

Gu Xixi watched the scene of affectionate ruler and minister before her, as if reading a "court workplace textbook".

This is probably what they mean by "the boss can be polite with you, but you cannot really be too polite."

Art!

Superb art!

Only now did Gu Xixi somewhat understand why Mu Nan Zhao could steadily hold power as a minister of two dynasties, not only being heavily relied upon but also enjoying considerable trust.

However, she could not remain detached for long.

The emperor turned to Gu Xixi again, "At the morning court, the Ministry of Revenue submitted a memorial; starting today we will spray anti‑locust pesticide."

"If this succeeds, it will be a blessing for me and the vast populace."

"I do not know what reward Miss Gu would like."

Having to kneel again, Gu Xixi sighed inwardly, rose and knelt facing forward.

"This common woman desires no reward."

"First, the locusts are not yet eradicated; what I have done shows no clear results, so I dare not claim credit."

"Second, securing grain ensures peace for the people and the realm; as one of Your Majesty's myriad subjects, I am merely doing my part to safeguard the realm's tranquility—this is my duty."

The emperor smiled and nodded, seemingly showing approval, then looked at Mu Nan Zhao and said:

"Indeed, as you said, Minister, Boss Gu is no ordinary woman."

"Her breadth of mind and demeanor are never confined to the small boudoir."

Gu Xixi started, wondering if Mu Nan Zhao was praising her like that.

The emperor became serious and said, "Miss Gu, tell me more of your thoughts on locust control; whatever you think of, including any concerns, you may speak freely."

"Rise, and answer while seated!"

It is clear this emperor is a man of practical deeds.

Gu Xixi reseated herself, composed herself, and said, "This common woman has already informed Minister He of the drawbacks of the prescription; given the limited time, relying on spraying the pesticide to kill insect eggs yields at most a fifty percent chance."

"However, after the remaining larvae hatch, there is still nearly a month before they mature into a disaster."

"Therefore, the crucial period for defeating the locusts lies in the following month: gather insect‑eating poultry and amphibians, especially frogs, which need no supervision or feeding, do not harm seedlings, and their droppings can fertilize fields; any nearby fields with a water source can receive them."

The emperor suddenly understood, "Marvelous—since locusts are the natural enemy of crops, we shall use the locusts' natural enemy to control them."

Gu Xixi then mentioned several possible contingencies and their countermeasures.

After listening, the emperor's eyes filled with praise, nodding repeatedly, "Good, good!"

"I did not expect Miss Gu to have considerable skill not only in agriculture but also in arranging layouts, being quite meticulous."

"Such talent is fully comparable to some of my court officials."

Gu Xixi lowered her head, "This common woman dares not."

The emperor raised his hand and said, "I never offer empty flattery to anyone."

"You truly possess this ability; there is no need to undervalue yourself."

Having said that, he seemed to mutter to himself, "What a pity to be born a woman; if only I were a man…"

The emperor suddenly thought of something, smiling as he looked at Gu Xixi.

"There's no need to wait until the locust eradication is finished."

"You have offered strategies and plans, and day and night without rest you have formulated the prescription; based on these alone, I ought to reward you."

Gu Xixi found it hard to refuse outright, so she merely listened.

The emperor gave Mu Nan Zhao a meaningful glance and said, "How about I bestow a marriage upon you?"

"That way, in the capital you would have both an identity and a backing."

"By assisting your husband, your wisdom and talent would also find a place to be used."

Gu Xixi was greatly startled.

She hardly dared to look up at Mu Nan Zhao across from her.

There's no need to guess; the emperor intends to give her to Mu Nan Zhao.

Whether she would be a wife or a concubine was no longer something Gu Xixi could think about at the moment.

She was about to stand when she heard a few light chuckles from across.

"His Majesty just loves to joke—look how he frightened Miss Gu."

The emperor's eyes glimmered with a smile, his composure unreadable.

After Mu Nan Zhao's interjection, Gu Xixi had fully recovered her calm.

She had come prepared—how could such a minor issue defeat her?

Gu Xixi's expression turned solemn as she bowed again: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty, but I, a commoner, have no intention of marrying for now."

The emperor gazed down at her, his aura commanding despite his calm: "Why?"

Gu Xixi replied, "Because I, a commoner, have so many things I want to accomplish that I haven't yet done."

"By introducing cultivation of Western Regions pomegranate, cold melon, foreign persimmon, and the like, we can let more people of the realm enjoy tasty fruits, enable farmers to profit from selling them, and ensure everyone has enough to eat and warm clothes."

"Xi Bei's borderlands have much wasteland; if we can further improve the soil, turning land that once only grew oats and alfalfa into fields of wheat and millet, we could save the Imperial Court's military grain."

"Near the Northwest Army's main camp lies a Dependents Village, home to the soldiers' wives and children; they subsist on coarse fare and dread the spring famine, never knowing if they'll have a next meal. Now the Northwest Army grants each family one to two mu of land to farm, hoping these women can also become self-sufficient, freeing the soldiers from rear concerns—tantamount to serving the state."

"I have trial-planted a plot of pomegranate trees on the Xi Bei wasteland, entrusting them to the military families to claim and tend; if they bear fruit and turn a profit, I will share the earnings with them; if they incur a loss, I will bear it myself."

……