Princess Sheng An was generous with coin, and she even covered three meals a day.
When Tian Waitian Restaurant and the Capital Weekly's printing press were hiring, the people of the capital had rushed to apply like bees to honey. But the spots were limited. Those who were rejected went home crestfallen, unable to sleep soundly for three days straight.
Now that the new cement factory was hiring, only a fool would hesitate.
For several days in a row, the people of the capital paid more attention to the cement factory than the officials at court.
Naturally, that was because those officials had no inkling that, in just over a month, a torrential downpour would descend upon the city.
At present, something even more pressing had seized their attention — a matter that directly threatened their own interests.
The scandal of the Crown Prince being confined by Emperor Xuanwu for selling official posts had already spread.
Those aligned with the Crown Prince scrambled to find a way to lift his house arrest. But Emperor Xuanwu flew into a rage during morning court, issuing a strict order to investigate the matter thoroughly. He was determined to drag every corrupt official who had bought their way into power into the light and confiscate their property.
No one heavily entangled in the selling of official posts would be spared.
The court had always been a den of tangled interests. Loyalties and rivalries wove through it like silk threads in a loom, impossible to trace clearly. Who could say when they might be implicated for something they hadn't even realized they'd touched?
Rumors flew like startled cranes. Everyone in the court feared for their neck.
Within the capital, it seemed that every few days, another household was raided.
But all of that had little to do with Yun Shu now.
The production of cement and the construction of the dike concerned the livelihood and safety of every commoner in the city. Yun Shu could not rest easy unless she oversaw it herself.
Though a princess of noble standing, she took to the construction site each day like a foreman.
At first, the workers at the cement plant and along the dike were nervous around her, stiff and silent in her presence. But as the days passed, those with bolder spirits began to greet her naturally, no longer shying away when she approached.
Everything was progressing smoothly.
As the dike neared completion, the results of the palace examination were released.
Yun Shu carved out half a day just to wait atop Tian Waitian Restaurant. She wanted to see Tang Muzhi, the seventeen-year-old top scorer, ride proudly through the streets on a tall steed alongside the second- and third-place scholars.
It had been a while since she last saw Cen Yiyi.
The girl leaned against the window ledge, eyes sparkling as she stared at the young zhuangyuan, nearly buried under the cascade of embroidered sachets and handkerchiefs flung by the crowd of girls lining the street.
With that look of wonder in her eyes, Yun Shu almost believed that, just like in the original storyline, Tang Muzhi had become the white moonlight in Cen Yiyi's heart.
Before Yun Shu could voice her thoughts, Cen Yiyi spoke up first.
"Your Highness, do you think I could become the Martial Champion one day?"
"Of course you could."
Yun Shu realized she had underestimated her.
This Cen Yiyi was no longer the delicate girl from the original plot who would one day be reduced to tears by Yun Chuhuan.
All that "white moonlight" talk? That only got in the way of drawing a sword swiftly.
Yun Shu gave her a solemn nod of respect.
"There is no rule that says only men may sit for the military examinations. If you are strong enough to defeat your peers in open competition, then you too can become the Martial Champion. Just like your cousin today, riding with such honor through the streets."
"My Daddy and Grandfather both say I have exceptional talent. They believe I'll be a first-class warrior one day."
Cen Yiyi's eyes lit up with determination. She nodded firmly.
"Your Highness is right. I'll train even harder. I'll defeat every opponent with my own strength and become the first female Martial Champion in Tian Sheng's history."
"Good." Yun Shu smiled. "Then This Princess shall begin searching the land for a legendary blade. If the day comes when you truly earn that title, This Princess will gift you the finest sword as your reward."
The zhuangyuan's victory parade was brief. After enjoying the rare spectacle that only came once every three years, Cen Yiyi returned to the Wu'an Hou Manor to resume her relentless training.
Yun Shu returned to the dike to continue her oversight, paying little attention to what came after the examination.
Yet several days later, the newly crowned zhuangyuan, Tang Muzhi, appeared at the construction site himself.
It was just past midday. Yun Shu was seated in the shade of a tree with Jiang Yuanbao, a steamed corn bun in her hand. The two were eating while deep in discussion.
Not far away, several laborers were scattered about, squatting on the grass, enjoying their break.
Recalling the things his grandfather had been repeating endlessly these past few days, Tang Muzhi raised a brow and walked directly toward the tree.
"Your Highness."
"Cousin? What are you doing here?"
Yun Shu quickly swallowed the last bite of her bun and beckoned him closer.
"Come into the shade, don't stand in the sun. Did you need something?"
"It is not urgent," Tang Muzhi said. "But after the examination, the Ministry of Personnel finalized the postings. I will be departing the capital in two days."
"You're leaving the capital?" Yun Shu's eyes widened in disbelief. "Where have they assigned you?"
He was the zhuangyuan, after all. They were not keeping him in the capital?
Could it be that the Ministry of Personnel was filled with people loyal to the Crown Prince, or perhaps others who held a grudge against her?
Still, someone like Tang Muzhi, who had topped all three levels of the imperial examination at such a young age, would surely be reviewed personally by Imperial Father. He would not approve of anything too unfair, would he?
Perhaps sensing the doubt in her expression, Tang Muzhi offered a gentle smile.
"The Ministry initially wished to appoint me to the Hanlin Academy as a compiling editor. But I requested to be sent to Qiongzhou instead."
"Why?" Yun Shu frowned.
To the people of this era, Qiongzhou was little better than a place of exile. A barren, far-flung corner of the empire.
Surely he wasn't planning to go there just to eat three hundred lychees a day?
"The more impoverished the region, the easier it is to make one's mark," Tang Muzhi said with a soft chuckle. "I have an impatient nature. I wish to gain merit while I am still young, so I might return to the capital sooner as a high-ranking official."
"…You?" Yun Shu blinked in confusion. "You don't seem impatient at all."
She did not believe him.
And in truth, Tang Muzhi was not being entirely honest.
It was true that impoverished regions offered quicker opportunities to build a reputation.
It was also true that he wanted to earn merit and rise quickly.
But that was not how it began.
Emperor Xuanwu had summoned him in private.
His Majesty said that Princess Sheng An did not yet have a strong foundation in court. If she hoped to contend for the throne one day, she would need allies loyal to her cause.
The Emperor asked if Tang Muzhi would be willing to become her support.
He agreed without hesitation.