The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 1100: Chapter 1074: Glory Amidst Chaos 142

Princess Fengyang took Qi Nanxue into the room she had reserved at the Beijing Grand Theater and took out a tube of ointment from the drawer.

”Sit down.”

She pointed to a circle chair by the wall.

Qi Nanxue obediently sat down.

Princess Fengyang looked down at him, and carefully applied a bit of ointment on his forehead with her slender, white fingers.

”Doesn’t it hurt after banging your head so much?”

While applying the ointment, she muttered softly, ”Your head is bleeding, yet you keep doing it, are you out of your mind?”

Qi Nanxue didn’t feel any pain at that moment.

He was delighted, beyond words.

”You must not do this anymore. If you want to thank Father Emperor, I will take you to the palace to kowtow in front of him.”

Princess Fengyang whispered as she gently blew on Qi Nanxue’s forehead, ”Does it still hurt?”

”No, it doesn’t.”

Qi Nanxue smiled and shook his head, ”From now on, I will no longer be a lowly slave, I am very happy, truly, even if I bleed more, it doesn’t hurt at all, I am really too happy.”

Princess Fengyang finished applying the ointment, then wrapped a bandage around Qi Nanxue’s head, ”Alright, don’t perform on stage for the next few days, rest well at home, and return to the stage when you’re better.”

”Okay.”

Qi Nanxue agreed.

Princess Fengyang was about to say something when she heard Li Niang outside saying, ”Princess, the steward at the printing house has something to report.”

Princess Fengyang had no choice but to place the ointment into Qi Nanxue’s hand, ”Remember to change your medication when you get back.”

Then she hurriedly left.

When she finished dealing with the printing house matters and returned inside the palace, it was just in time for dinner.

Xiao Yuan wasn’t very busy today; he came to Fengqi Palace to have dinner with Anning.

The children had also gathered, so Anning was quite happy and had Chun Xing set up a large round table for everyone to sit around and dine together.

Except for Princess Le Yang, who had gone to Southern Yi, the remaining four princesses were all present, along with the Crown Prince and several Commandery Princes.

The whole family, a dozen or so people, sat together, making it particularly lively.

During the meal, Xiao Yuan talked to Anning about the children leaving the palace to establish their own households: ”Song’er and the others have picked their Prince Mansions, they are a few Prince Mansions from the previous dynasty, and have the officials of the Imperial Household Department cleaned them thoroughly, and if anything is lacking, repair it and add some things.”

After discussing the Prince Mansions, they talked about the Princess Mansion, which in the previous dynasty wasn’t very large. All the Princess Mansions in Da Qi were concentrated on Ten Prince Street, so named because ten Princes from a previous dynasty lived there, and after Da Qi was founded, Princess Mansions were usually built there; there are more than a dozen Princess Mansions there alone.

Xiao Yuan’s intention was to select some well-built ones to connect and renovate for their children’s mansions.

Zhaoyang, Chuyang, and Pingyang had no objections, but Princess Fengyang put down her chopsticks and said, ”Father Emperor, don’t plan for mine. I want Father Emperor to give me a piece of land, I will design and build it myself; I want to build a Princess Mansion that I like and is comfortable to live in.”

Anning was quite interested, ”What kind of mansion do you plan to build?”

Xiao Yuan said, ”Although the Princess Mansions in Da Qi are small, they’re indeed built nicely. I’ve seen them, and they’re good. Two connected would still be not smaller than a Prince Mansion.”

Fengyang shook her head, ”I still don’t like it.”

She straightforwardly asked Anning and Xiao Yuan to wait, then went back to her palace to fetch the blueprint for them to see.

Upon seeing it, Anning thought, wow, this girl is getting bolder and bolder, this blueprint isn’t of a Princess Mansion; it’s clearly a modern estate.

In ancient times, houses typically had guest rooms, study rooms, and a gatehouse in the front courtyard, with a garden in the back, but on Fengyang’s blueprint, besides the gatehouse, at the front, there was a large garden with flowers, trees, a lawn, and even a swimming pool; on both sides were the servants’ quarters, and further back was a very modern three-story building.

This building took up a large land area, and looking at the room structure diagram, it had many rooms; the first floor had a huge living room, along with a few servant rooms, while the second and third floors were all various rooms.

Fengyang even included plumbing and designed a flush toilet upstairs.

Anning pursed her lips, ”Your blueprint... if built like this, to get the plumbing up, you must first build a very tall water tower, and also build a water wheel to pump water to the water tower.”

Fengyang nodded, ”Although it is a bit labor-intensive to build, it’s especially comfortable to live in.”

The other children also gathered around to look. Zhaoyang, after reviewing it, said to Xiao Yuan, ”Father Emperor, I also want a Princess Mansion like this.”

Then both Chuyang and Pingyang looked at Xiao Yuan with eager eyes.

What could Xiao Yuan do? He waved his hand, ”Alright, alright, Father Emperor will give you land and have it built for you all, okay?”

He pointed to Fengyang again, ”Later, draw a blueprint for your sisters too.”

Fengyang immediately nodded, ”Okay.”

For a long time thereafter, it was a period of great construction in the Dajing Dynasty.

Anning promoted high-quality and high-yield crops throughout the Dajing Dynasty, in areas with droughts or poor soil, the people were encouraged to plant potatoes and sweet potatoes; in the south, more rice was planted, while in the north, more wheat was planted.

At the same time, Xiao Yuan was developing ports in coastal areas, building sea vessels for maritime trade with various countries.

Xiao Yuan also encouraged invention and innovation, glass mirrors were produced during this period, as well as tiles, flush toilets, etc.

Merchants of the Dajing Dynasty traded Dajing porcelain, silk, and other fine objects for gold and silver, gemstones, and spices from other countries.

Furthermore, roads were being built everywhere, and similar to the region of Southern Yi, after the people on the banks of the Yellow River resumed production, Xiao Yuan began large-scale infrastructure development, constructing cement roads between all prefectures and counties, and then further detailing down to villages, creating cement roads that made travel more convenient.

Convenient transportation not only facilitated the lives of the people, but also enhanced the control of the Dajing Dynasty.

The Princess Mansions in the Capital also rose up during this time, Xiao Yuan had the Imperial Household Department demolish the more than a dozen Princess Mansions on Ten Prince Street, preserving good timber and stone for constructing new Princess Mansions, and over more than half a year built five new Princess Mansions.

Even though Princess Le Yang was in Southern Yi, Xiao Yuan treated everyone equally, preparing a Princess Mansion for her in the Capital as well, intending for Dong Da to bring Le Yang back to the Capital to live once he was discharged.

After the five Princess Mansions were completed, the Princesses moved in naturally.

By this time, Zhaoyang was of age, and Anning was considering a Prince Consort for her.

Additionally, it was time for the Crown Prince and Prince Xin to select their Princesses too.

With sons getting married, daughters getting engaged, Anning was momentarily busy.

Just at this moment, Princess Chuyang visited Anning. She had already moved out of the palace to live in the Princess Chuyang’s Mansion outside but still came to the palace every day to greet Anning.

Anning thought Chuyang came to greet her and have some good food, but upon entering, Chuyang knelt down.

Anning was startled, ”What are you doing? Did you get into trouble outside? Get up and tell Mother Empress properly, it’s alright, Mother Empress will take care of it for you.”

No matter what Anning said, Chuyang wouldn’t rise.

She kowtowed, ”Mother Empress, I request that you bestow a marriage upon me.”

Anning laughed, ”That’s a good thing! What are you kneeling for, get up and speak.”

Chuyang still wouldn’t rise, she remained kneeling upright, ”I wish to marry Wang Qi.”

Anning’s smile faltered a bit, ”Say it again.”

Chuyang stated loudly again, ”I wish to marry Wang Qi.”

”Do you know his background?”

Anning asked.

Chuyang nodded, ”I do, Mother Empress.”

Anning fell silent, her face calm.

Chuyang knocked her head heavily on the ground, ”In terms of identity, Wang Qi is now a Wang, the son of Mrs. Wang, with no relation to the Xiao Family. In terms of blood, there is no blood relation between us. I...”

Anning slammed the table, ”If you are requesting a marriage, Wang Qi has a waist card to enter the palace, he too can submit his request to enter the palace, why did he not come to ask me, but let you come instead?”