Ji Sang woke up hungry, lying in bed and opening her eyes. Half of the bed next to her was empty.

She reached out and felt her waist as she sat up. It had been a while since the man had last indulged, and yesterday’s activities had left her feeling weak, as if her body had been dismantled.

The sunlight by the window was just right.

She lowered her head and glanced at the neatly arranged undergarments, a slight smile forming at the corner of her lips. She lifted the covers, got off the bed, but her legs were weak and she almost stumbled. Swiftly, she grabbed hold of the nearby chair to steady herself, accidentally knocking over the basin stand, causing it to fall to the ground…

At that moment, the door opened.

Wen Jian peeked inside, then quickly entered, closing the door behind him. He swiftly walked over and embraced her in his arms, carrying her back to bed and sitting down beside her.

“Why did you fall?”

“Why, don’t you know?”

He still had to ask her?

Ji Sang’s voice was hoarse, and her beautiful dark eyes stared at him.

“Are you hungry?”

“Are you busy?” When he had just entered, she had heard voices from outside through the crack in the door.

Wen Jian stood up and took clothes from the nearby wardrobe, saying, “Hmm, the head carpenter from Mufang came to discuss the repairs of the grain barn. Li, the head carpenter from Tianfang, is also there. It has been raining continuously since October, and the fields were originally dry. Now there’s too much water, and the millet seedlings have just sprouted. I’m afraid they might drown. I was thinking of using the dragon bone water wheel to drain the water…”

Ji Sang took the clothes from his hands and listened attentively as he spoke. Then she said, “You can go out and handle your tasks. I can manage on my own.”

Indeed, there were several matters waiting for him to attend to.

He glanced at her, cupped her cheeks with his hands, and kissed her lips forcefully. Ji Sang leaned her head back and exclaimed, “Mmm… I haven’t brushed my teeth yet…”

His tongue aggressively entered her mouth, entangling with her small tongue. They kissed passionately, their mouths sticking together. Ji Sang let out a moan from her throat before he finally let go…

After the kiss, he lightly said, “Delicious.”

Ji Sang slapped him and said, “Wen Jian, go away.”

Wen Jian chuckled softly, got up, and as he walked out, he said, “There are boiled eggs in the stove. When you’re ready, get up and eat.”

However, Ji Sang said, “Can you lend me Xiao Du for a while later? I want to look around the surroundings.”

Wen Jian said he could wait and take her around when he had free time, but Ji Sang refused. She wanted to explore the area, get familiar with the surroundings, and let him focus on his work.

Wen Jian furrowed his brow slightly but didn’t say anything. He let her rest a bit longer and then left for the outer room.

–

The people in the outer room had already looked in the direction he was coming from.

It was truly extraordinary!

Lord Wen had been at Wubao for quite some time now, and in the minds of the people, he was someone strict with himself, rarely smiling or speaking casually. They had never seen him so nervous about someone before, or even leaving in the middle of a discussion.

They turned their inquisitive gazes towards Xiao Du, who returned their gaze with a smirk at the corner of his lips. Then they saw Lord Wen emerge from the inner room, returning to the desk and continuing the conversation with the carpenters as if nothing had happened.

They hadn’t noticed before, but now Carpenter Li saw that Lord Wen’s neck was covered in red marks.

This…

Lord Wen must be hiding his lover in the golden chamber!

Ji Sang lazily stayed in bed for a while before finally getting up, dressing neatly, and walking out of the room in a confident manner. Naturally, the people in the front hall heard the sound and naturally stopped what they were doing, turning their heads in Ji Sang’s direction.

Ah!

So it was true!

Lord Wen was indeed hiding his lover in the golden chamber!

Ji Sang received everyone’s attention, and the corner of her lips curled up. She paused for a moment, then raised her hand in the air and greeted, “Hello, everyone…”

Carpenter Lin: “…”

Carpenter Li: “…”

Xiao Du: “…”

Finally, Ji Sang’s gaze settled on Lord Wen, and then she turned to Xiao Du and said, “Xiao Du, come here.”

Xiao Du’s heart skipped a beat, and he pointed at himself, saying, “Me?”

Ji Sang was about to nod when Lord Wen stood up from his seat, his tone suddenly becoming louder. “Carpenter Li, speed up the drainage with the dragon bone water wheel. If it’s not enough, have a few more people join Carpenter Lin’s team to make two more. You have two more days for the repairs in the northern warehouse. That’s all for now. You can disperse.”

After Lord Wen finished speaking, he was already by Ji Sang’s side, holding her hand and walking outside. His voice lowered as he said, “Let’s go, I’ll accompany you for breakfast.”

Ji Sang was practically being dragged along by him as her dark eyes flickered, and a smile formed on her lips. “Um, aren’t you busy?”

“Busy.”

“But I still have time to have breakfast with Sang’er.”

After saying that, he pulled Ji Sang towards the stove.

Leaving behind a group of astonished carpenters.

Lord Wen’s wife had arrived, and then there was Miss Li…

–

Heating the pancakes in the pot, Wen Jian asked Ji Sang to sit while he went to fetch them. He also poured a bowl of porridge on the side. The food supply in Wubao was abundant, so after Wen Jian’s arrival, breakfasts were mostly white porridge.

This millet was actually somewhat different from the refined rice in later generations, but it had a long cooking time and a sticky texture. Compared to the food from the past, it felt particularly delicate in the mouth.

Ji Sang found it delicious and unknowingly ate a bit too much, feeling a little full. Coincidentally, Wen Jian and Ji Sang went out for a stroll around Wubao.

There was a busy scene in Wubao, with men laboring on the water wheel and women chatting and watching their children on the field ridge. When they saw Wen Jian, they greeted him, and even those further away in the barren land, both men and women waved their farming tools, reclaiming new land.

Wen Jian pointed to the land and said, “Sang’er, ever since we used your method, these refugees have been as energetic as if they had taken chicken blood… They work from dawn to dusk, hoping to earn an acre and three-fen of land before the New Year.”

Ji Sang smiled lightly and heard him sigh deeply, “General Zhu has been stationed at the border for over three months, facing a shortage of food and supplies. I’ve already sent three urgent letters to the Emperor, fearing that the granary at the Li family’s Wubao will be emptied by the end of this month. However, there are over ten thousand mouths to feed in Wubao…”

In the end, Wen Jian knew from taking over the Li family’s Wubao that it was a mess that seemed endless at first glance. After Empress Li entered the palace, her husband needed money, and there was no way not to support her. The Li family was also the backing of Empress Li. As long as Empress Li spoke, even if the granary was full, it would have to be emptied.

Ji Sang pondered for a while.

Due to heavy rain, the ground was difficult to walk on. They hadn’t walked for long before their feet became muddy.

Wen Jian half embraced her slender waist and said, “There’s nothing particularly interesting to see. Let’s go back?”

However, Ji Sang halted her steps and looked towards the nearby river. “Wait, let’s go take a look at the river…”

Saying that, she grabbed Wen Jian’s hand and walked towards the riverside.

After the heavy rain, the river was swollen, and the water had risen to knee level.

Ji Sang furrowed her brow and looked into the distance.

After a moment, Wen Jian asked her, “What are you thinking?”

Ji Sang crouched down and drew lines on the muddy ground with a tree branch. “I’m thinking about some interesting ideas for water conservation.”

“Water conservation?”

Wen Jian immediately became interested. His black pupils suddenly gleamed, fixed on Ji Sang.

Ji Sang felt a lump in her chest, realizing that she was becoming less cautious around Wen Jian. How could she have blurted out such words? After all, what could a woman of her status understand about “water conservation”?

She touched her nose and saw that Wen Jian was merely curious and not concerned about how she knew about it. She paused and said, “I came across an interesting story before. It said that to make good use of this river, there should be not an inch of uncultivated land around it.”

“Oh? How would you make use of it?”

“By digging canals.”

“Wen Jian, look at the Li family’s Wubao. It is located on higher ground but is very close to this river. The recent heavy rain has already flooded the surrounding fertile land. If there are a couple more downpours, even the water wheel won’t be enough. However, by digging canals to divert the water elsewhere, we can protect this area from harm. And during droughts, we can bring water from other places for irrigation… But it’s a massive project, and I just thought of it and casually mentioned it.”

But Wen Jian was captivated by her words and sighed softly after a moment.

“But…”

“Wubao doesn’t have money, and the new emperor has even less.”

“Digging canals requires money and manpower!”

Hearing him say that, Ji Sang’s dark eyes shimmered with stars. “Do you want to do it?”

Wen Jian was drawn by her gaze, and a clear smile appeared in his chest. “Of course, I want to work for the benefit of the people.”

Ji Sang said, “We can start by making money.”

Wen Jian chuckled, “Who doesn’t want to? But Wubao is filled with commoners and refugees… You’ve seen those people just now, they are so poor that they only have their lives left…”

Ji Sang smiled, “We’ll earn money from those who have it.”

“Hmm?”

Wen Jian was stunned.

“I noticed a timber workshop here. Why not establish a paper mill beneath it… Paper is not yet widely used in Beiliang, so ordinary people, commoners, and refugees won’t use it. But what if we introduce paper to the aristocratic families? The money earned can be used for infrastructure in Wubao. I’ll immediately write a letter to Boss Ge and persuade him to open a shop in Beiliang City.”

Wen Jian was completely dumbfounded. He never expected his young wife to have these ideas. Just as he was about to say something, she continued, “In this world, there is a hierarchy: scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants at the bottom.”

“Wen Jian, you’re in the official field, and I’m just a little woman. Leave the business matters to me.”

What Ji Sang had in mind was not just the paper mill; it also included every little trinket that aristocratic families liked… Paper was just one of them; it could also be personalized clothing…

Like the homemade undergarment she was wearing.

She didn’t believe that the young ladies of aristocratic families wouldn’t like it. Well, even if they didn’t, the wives and concubines who wanted to keep their men would surely love it. After all, a woman strives to please herself. Women all love to look beautiful.

The two of them were squatting down, engrossed in their conversation, and didn’t even stand up.

Wen Jian’s mind lingered on the words Ji Sang had just said, “Merchants are at the bottom, leave the business matters to me.” It felt like a warm bowl of porridge was poured into his heart, making his nose slightly tingle with warmth. He involuntarily held Ji Sang’s hand.

His lips slightly parted as he murmured, “Sang’er…”

“Lord Wen—” Just then, a female voice came from behind.

Wen Jian’s back stiffened, and he turned to look. He saw Li Jiuer standing not far away, her eyes filled with hostility as they directly swept towards Ji Sang.

When Jiuer looked at Ji Sang, Ji Sang was silently assessing her as well.

Of course, Ji Sang felt the hostility and immediately understood something.

Wen Jian stood up and said, “Miss Li, what brings you here?”

Seeing their tightly held hands, anger surged within Jiuer’s chest as she exclaimed, “Lord Wen! My father sent you to Wubao to work, not to engage in romance!”

Wen Jian was about to say something when Ji Sang stood up. Wen Jian tried to support her, but her legs suddenly weakened, and she fell into his arms. Her voice was soft and delicate as she spoke, “Husband… I feel dizzy…”

Wen Jian’s heart tightened, and he hurriedly held her. “Sang’er, are you alright?”

Ji Sang supported her forehead with her small hand and said, “I’m fine. Maybe I’ve been squatting for too long, and everything in front of me turned dark… I’m afraid I can’t walk. Can you carry me?”

Without hesitation, Wen Jian reached out and carried the woman in his arms, his expression filled with concern. “Let’s go back.”

Ji Sang obediently responded, “Okay.”

Wen Jian looked at Jiuer with a calm gaze and said, “Miss Li, my wife is feeling unwell. We will take our leave. Please excuse us.”

After speaking, he walked toward his home.

Witnessing this, Jiuer’s chest heaved with anger. She angrily called out, including his full name, “Wen Jian!…”

But then she saw the woman in Wen Jian’s embrace. Her dark eyes looked at her brightly, and her delicate red lips moved slightly.

Though she made no sound, Jiuer understood.

She was saying, “Wen Jian is mine.”

Jiuer was so enraged that she almost spat blood. As someone born with a silver spoon, no one had ever shown such disrespect towards her. She had heard them yesterday… unable to sleep the whole night, she came to Wubao today unwilling to accept it and wanted to confront Wen Jian’s original wife…

But!

This was too arrogant!

This woman was simply too arrogant!

She was infuriated!

…