Zi Cheng choked, "Uncle, it's not enough that you've resolved the imperial marriage decree. Last time it was a gifted beauty, and this time it's a marriage decree. What will it be next?"
Mo Lingxi said calmly, "There won't be a next time. I won't let such a thing happen again."
Zi Cheng knew Mo Lingxi had the capability, but he felt the core of the problem wasn't that.
"Uncle, has the physician agreed to be with you?"
Mo Lingxi shot him a cold, knife-like glare.
Zi Cheng shrank his neck, "Uncle, this matter has nothing to do with me. It's because your status is too high, so it's not strange for the physician to have such thoughts."
"Uncle, I suggest you think of a way to elevate the physician's status. Once the physician's status is raised, these problems will cease to be problems."
Mo Lingxi hadn't considered this point. He pressed his temples, "The biggest problem isn't status, but that she doesn't want to be confined to one place, constantly scheming and fighting."
Zi Cheng had nothing more to say. If the physician were to truly be with Uncle one day, these things would be unavoidable.
With their status and position, even if they didn't fight, didn't grab, and didn't scheme, countless people would scheme against them.
Mo Lingxi rubbed his temples again, temporarily suppressing the matter in his heart, and began discussing with Zi Cheng how to resolve the current situation.
By the time the two had finished their discussion, over an hour had passed.
"Uncle, I think it would be best to bring the physician and Xiao Feng back. Firstly, to let the mother and son adapt in advance, and secondly, it would be easier to handle anything that happens."
"It's not appropriate before the start of spring."
Zi Cheng understood the reason and reminded him, "Uncle, I suggest you tell the physician about everything, no matter what."
"The physician is different from other women. If you hide even a little bit, the physician will dislike you."
Mo Lingxi stated that he had nothing to hide from Tao Lengshuang. He had said everything he should, and even things he shouldn't have.
Zi Cheng: "..." He felt that what Uncle said about telling everything was different from what he meant.
Never mind, it was ultimately a matter between Uncle and the physician as husband and wife. As a nephew, it wasn't good for him to interfere too much.
Turning his head, he began discussing the matter of sweet potatoes with Mo Lingxi. Although the sweet potatoes had already been planted, whether they would survive, how many would survive, and what the future harvest would be were all major issues.
Mo Lingxi was also very concerned about the sweet potatoes. He frowned slightly. Apart from his own country, no one understood sweet potatoes, not even Tao Lengshuang understood them very well. They could only rely on themselves to figure it out.
As they were discussing sweet potatoes, he thought of something, "Zi Cheng, what do you think I should give Tao Lengshuang as a gift?"
The topic shifted rather abruptly. Zi Cheng was stunned for a moment before reacting, "You've already given her the pharmacy. Why not give her something sincere? Like betrothal gifts, the three intermediaries and six rites, and so on."
"When you and the physician got married, you didn't have any of that. Now that Uncle wants to live a good life with the physician, you need to prepare these things."
Mo Lingxi nodded in agreement, "Yes, these things need to be prepared. The three intermediaries and six rites cannot be prepared for now, but betrothal gifts can be prepared."
Zi Cheng heard this and put on a serious face, "Uncle, have you truly decided to spend your life with the physician?"
"Uncle must understand that if you regain your status in the future, past matters, including the physician's background, will be dug up. Will you then look down on the physician?"
Mo Lingxi raised his hand and tapped his head, saying irritably, "Do I look like that kind of person?"
Zi Cheng, however, smiled and shook his head, "Uncle knows better than me how fickle human hearts are."
"Even if Uncle doesn't change, what about the physician? Constantly mocked and insulted by others, out of place with those around her, and even her child is wantonly humiliated. Can the physician endure that?"
Mo Lingxi fell silent. He knew these were real problems that would occur. He had personally experienced how those in power fawned over the high and trampled on the low.
"Uncle, I suggest you truly think it through before deciding whether you want to spend your life with the physician. This is not just Uncle's matter, nor is it just between you and the physician."
"...You know quite a bit."
Zi Cheng shrugged and smiled, saying no more. He had said enough. The rest depended on how Uncle acted.
Mo Lingxi's gaze deepened as he contemplated the matter.
...
The next day, a 'major event' occurred at the morning court.
The crane that the Emperor had kept for only a few days was poisoned to death. The Emperor doted on this crane, and it was one of his favorite possessions.
This incident made the Emperor disregard the废太子 (Crown Prince), only wanting to find out who had killed his crane.
Who knew that upon investigation, it implicated several princes and many court officials, even uncovering cases of corruption and bribery.
That wasn't all. The Emperor had already learned of the widespread uprisings and riots of disaster victims. Frightened, the Emperor had several court officials beheaded and ordered people to suppress the uprisings.
However, before the suppressing army could even leave the city, they all suffered from diarrhea and fell ill one by one. The remaining generals were also recuperating due to illness.
With no one to lead the troops and insufficient soldiers, the Emperor had no choice but to pretend ignorance and remain holed up in the imperial palace.
Just as the Emperor was contemplating how to resolve the predicament, he learned of the disaster star. The Emperor ordered the Imperial Guards to capture the disaster star and burn her to death publicly to resolve the current crisis.
Meanwhile, Tao Lengshuang learned of the Emperor's decree from the dark guards. She immediately packed her belongings, took Xiao Feng and the dark guards, and fled into the deep mountains at the fastest speed.
In the deep mountains, there were three wooden houses pre-built by Mo Lingxi, furnished with daily necessities.
As soon as the mother and son arrived at the wooden houses, they saw Mo Lingxi, who had just arrived.
"Daddy!" Xiao Feng happily ran out and hugged his father's leg.
Mo Lingxi picked up Xiao Feng with one hand and led Tao Lengshuang into the wooden house with the other, while the dark guards prepared charcoal fires and other necessities.
"We'll live in the wooden houses for now. You don't need to worry too much about the Emperor. I'm more concerned about the mastermind and whether anyone will take advantage of the chaos to do something," Mo Lingxi said.
Tao Lengshuang glanced at Xiao Feng, who was climbing onto the bed, and said to Mo Lingxi, "The matter of the disaster star cannot be resolved. His Majesty will always find ways to capture me."
What could convince the common people more than resolving the disaster star and ensuring that disasters would no longer occur?
Mo Lingxi understood this best. "I have a plan for this. It will take a few more days. Please rest assured, I will protect you."
Tao Lengshuang lowered her eyes and hummed. She then remembered Mo Lingxi's imperial marriage decree and looked out the window with a slightly upset mood.
Mo Lingxi asked the dark guards to watch Xiao Feng, then took Tao Lengshuang to another room and held her, kissing her.
However, Tao Lengshuang pushed him away. She said impatiently, "Can you stop thinking about this kind of thing all day?"
Mo Lingxi sensed her mood was off and held her hand, "Did something happen? Or is it about... the imperial marriage decree?"
Upon hearing the words "imperial marriage decree," Tao Lengshuang pursed her lips, her mood worsening. "It's nothing, I'm just annoyed."
How could Mo Lingxi not know she wasn't telling the truth? He also saw that it was due to the imperial marriage decree. "In a few more days, I will be able to resolve the matter of the imperial marriage decree, and similar incidents will not happen in the future."
"Can you wait a few more days?"