“Fourth, reduce and exempt taxes. Send envoys to the disaster areas to proclaim relief and exempt disaster victims from taxes for three years, so that they may be grateful for His Majesty’s benevolence. The purpose of this is not tax reduction, but to pacify public resentment. Fifth, establish the Ever-Normal Granary. This is done after the disaster subsides—when market grain prices are low, raise prices to purchase grain from farmers for storage; when market grain prices rise, reduce prices to sell the stored grain to stabilize prices. In the future, if disasters occur elsewhere, the stored grain can also be used for relief. This is truly a method that solves the problem once and for all.”

Everyone listened with stunned expressions, too shocked to speak. Tuoba Zhen suddenly slapped his palm and said, “Good! Good! This is truly excellent!”

Li Changle’s face remained as composed as usual, but the resentment in her beautiful eyes had spread like an overwhelming tide. She truly hadn’t expected that Li Weiyang could actually say such things. More importantly, even she had to admit that what the other party said made perfect sense! She couldn’t believe it—no matter what, she couldn’t believe it!

“Although these Five Strategies for Disaster Relief are somewhat simple, they are truly excellent methods!” Just then, someone suddenly walked into the pavilion, startling everyone.

It was Li Xiaoran, his face full of smiles.

After the initial shock, Li Minfeng suddenly stood up and said with a laugh, “Yes, Changle’s Five Strategies for Disaster Relief are truly extraordinary. I’m afraid even all the men in the world would be outshone by her!”

Everyone froze for a moment, then Li Changxi was the first to jump up: “Yes, Big Sister is truly remarkable to have thought of such excellent methods. She’s truly a model for all women in the world!”

Li Xiaoran was stunned, then stood in place, momentarily speechless.

Tuoba Zhen frowned, his gaze sweeping over Li Changle’s flushed face, but ultimately said nothing.

“But it was clearly our young miss—” Bai Zhi blurted out.

Li Minfeng sternly rebuked her: “Silence! When the masters are speaking, how dare you, a mere maid, gossip here!”

Bai Zhi was frightened by his harsh expression and severe tone, her face filled with shock and uncertainty as she looked toward Li Weiyang. It wasn’t just her—everyone originally in the pavilion looked toward her.

Li Minfeng stepped forward, his handsome face bearing a trace of coldness: “Third Sister, tell me—isn’t Changle an extraordinary woman?!”

To claim someone else’s achievements as their own—these siblings were truly utterly shameless. As for Tuoba Zhen, he had already lowered his head to drink tea. The internal strife of the Li family had nothing to do with him; all he wanted was a result.

Li Xiaoran looked at the calm Li Weiyang, a trace of guilt rising in his heart, then laughed loudly: “Yes, Changle is truly remarkable. Even this difficult problem that I, as Prime Minister, couldn’t solve has been easily resolved in your hands! You’re truly a female Zhuge!”

Li Changle smiled gently, her index finger playfully brushing across her beautiful skirt, concealing the mocking smile that inadvertently appeared at the corner of her lips.

Li Weiyang, so what if these Five Strategies were proposed by you? Among everyone present, who would testify for you?! Mother was right—you’re just a lowborn creature, destined to pave the way for me! Thinking this, she smiled tenderly: “Father overpraises me. I’m merely sharing the concerns and solving the difficulties of the common people. There’s nothing worth boasting about.”

She actually had the thick skin to admit it. Li Weiyang nearly laughed out loud. In her previous life, half a month before Tuoba Zhen ascended the throne, floods suddenly struck the eastern part of Dali. Tuoba Zhen personally rushed to the disaster area for relief, and she accompanied him. Faced with the tragic scene of tens of millions of people left homeless, fifteen strategists worked day and night for three days without sleep, developing countermeasures based on the actual local situation. However, at that time, this theory was fragmentary and not systematic. Now that she had rethought the matter, she had organized this complete set of theories.

Li Xiaoran looked at Li Weiyang with guilt. He hadn’t originally expected that this unremarkable daughter would have such intelligence, but—he had carefully cultivated Li Changle for so many years, and now was the best opportunity for her to shine. It could both attract the imperial family’s attention to her and establish a good reputation among the common people. If Weiyang had also grown up by his side, if she also had a stunningly beautiful face, perhaps he wouldn’t have buried her efforts. Since matters had come to this point, he could only continue with this mistake.

Seeing that a conclusion had been reached here, Tuoba Zhen smiled: “In that case, I shall submit a memorial today to report these Five Strategies for Disaster Relief to Father Emperor. At that time, I’ll request merit-based rewards for the eldest young miss.”

Li Changle’s brow relaxed, and for the first time, she smiled with complete satisfaction.

From beginning to end, Li Weiyang didn’t utter a single word of protest.

Returning from the pavilion, Bai Zhi was fuming. Li Weiyang glanced at her and smiled: “What’s the matter with you?”

“Miss, how can you act as if nothing happened! That idea was clearly yours—how could you let the eldest young miss steal all the credit! This servant heard people say that because the civil and military officials couldn’t think of good methods, His Majesty has issued an edict to the common people that regardless of gender, anyone who can provide disaster relief methods will receive official ranks and noble titles if male, and rewards and honors if female!”

“Oh, is that so?” Li Weiyang listened with interest, quite carelessly.

Bai Zhi had always been steady, but now she was rarely flustered: “Right now in the household, you only have the old madam protecting you. But the eldest young miss is also her granddaughter after all. No matter how much she dotes on you, she won’t ignore the eldest young miss and them. Moreover, she’s getting on in years—there will eventually come a time when she can’t protect you. What will you do then!”

Li Weiyang hadn’t expected Bai Zhi would say such things, and couldn’t help but gaze at her intently: “Bai Zhi, I’m very happy that you can tell me these things.”

Bai Zhi nearly stamped her foot. “Miss, at a time like this, why aren’t you the least bit anxious! Must the fire truly be singeing your eyebrows before you’ll be concerned!”

Mo Zhu, listening from the side, advised: “Miss, should we tell the old madam about this matter—”

“There’s no need. The old madam already worries enough about me. Don’t trouble her with such trivial matters.” Li Weiyang stood up, gazing at the heavy snow outside the window, slowly revealing a smile.

The Five Strategies for Disaster Relief? Li Changle, you just wait for your reward.

Tuoba Zhen didn’t break his word. He quickly organized the Five Strategies for Disaster Relief into a memorial and submitted it. The Emperor read it with great delight, and upon hearing that it was devised by the fifteen-year-old eldest daughter of Prime Minister Li’s household, he lavishly praised Prime Minister Li on the spot and promised appropriate rewards as soon as the disaster passed. For a time, countless literati wrote poems and essays praising Li Changle’s beauty and talent, as well as her concern for the country and people. It could be said that Prime Minister Li’s eldest daughter was instantly elevated to the heavens throughout the capital. This was completely different from those noble daughters who gained fame by showing themselves in public and flaunting their skills in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. This was genuine achievement that would be recorded in history and glorified for millennia.

For half a month straight, the first madam’s face couldn’t conceal her joyful smile. Not only her—even the people serving the eldest young miss received double their monthly silver, each grinning from ear to ear, making servants from other branches green with envy.

Amid this chorus of cheers, only Li Weiyang silently waited, waiting for calamity to descend upon Li Changle’s head…