Chapter 161: Noble Lady Fu

Zhang Xiaolan was still reluctant to leave. Knowing that they had just arrived here to make a living, penniless and vulnerable to bullying, she wondered if they had a place to stay. Seeing people in such a pitiful state always stirred her impulse to help.

"We just arrived in the capital and haven't found a place to live yet. For the past few days, we've been staying in a dilapidated temple outside the city," the old man said sheepishly. As newcomers from out of town, they had nowhere to go, but the main issue was their lack of money, leaving them with no choice but to muddle through their days in the ruined temple.

"How can that do? Since we are helping, we should help till the end. Brother Li, could you help Miss Yueyun find a place to stay?"

Zhang Xiaolan's soft heart was touched by their plight once again. She turned around, opened her large eyes wide, and gave Li瑞 an innocent, pleading look. He was much more capable of handling such matters than she was, so if she wanted it resolved quickly, she had to rely on him.

"Xiaolan is kind-hearted. I will send someone to help them find a residence." Unable to resist Zhang Xiaolan's pleading, and knowing her temperament, Li瑞 understood. Although there were far too many pitiful people in the world to help everyone, he would never refuse her.

"Thank you, Brother Li. I knew you were the best." Seeing him agree so readily, Zhang Xiaolan happily tugged at his sleeve, swaying it in a spoiled manner. Seeing this, Xiaolian covered her mouth and chuckled behind her back.

"Yueyun thanks the Prince and thanks the young lady." Seeing how Zhang Xiaolan and Li瑞 were helping them, the father and daughter felt deeply grateful and moved to kneel again in thanks, as they had nothing else to offer in return.

"Alright, please don't do this anymore. Take this money first and live a proper life." Zhang Xiaolan pulled the purse from her sleeve and handed it directly to the father and daughter. She hoped they wouldn't go hungry; once they had a place to rest, they needed to fill their stomachs so they would have the strength to make a living.

Naturally, the father and daughter declined repeatedly, not daring to accept such a great favor. But Zhang Xiaolan insisted, and it was only after Li瑞 spoke up that they reluctantly accepted, followed by yet another round of profuse gratitude. Zhang Xiaolan found their excessive politeness a bit much, but she could do nothing as the father and daughter insisted on thanking them.

Eventually, Li瑞 had matters to attend to and had to leave first. Although he wanted to escort Zhang Xiaolan home, she insisted on following along to see the arrangement through, leaving him with no choice but to agree to her request.

"My lady, we didn't accomplish anything today," Xiaolian pouted as they returned.

Only after seeing the father and daughter settled did Zhang Xiaolan finally feel at ease, and she finally headed back to the manor with Xiaolian. However, today's intended destinations and plans had all fallen through, so she planned to go out and stroll around again another day.

"What does that matter? Helping others brings the greatest joy. Seeing Uncle Lin and Yueyun with a place to live makes me happy too. We still have time, we can take things slowly! Hehe!"

Zhang Xiaolan didn't mind at all. Helping others and punishing the wicked—wasn't that a truly meaningful thing to do? Since Miss Yueyun's surname was Lin, Zhang Xiaolan had started calling him Uncle Lin, though he initially dared not accept the title and ended up being 'lectured' by Zhang Xiaolan once more.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, at the quarters of Noble Lady Fu:

Today was a day of great celebration for Fu Yan. Just moments ago, the Emperor's imperial edict had been delivered, promoting her to the rank of Noble Consort Fu, accompanied by generous rewards of gold, silver, delicate treasures, pearl diadems, and an abundance of colorful Sichuan brocades and fine silks.

After seeing off the eunuch who delivered the decree and the imperial rewards, Fu Yan looked at the edict in her hands, her face beaming with triumph. Although her heart was filled with joy, it was all within her expectations—she had taken yet another step closer to her ultimate goal.

Not long after the eunuch who proclaimed the imperial will had departed, concubines of various ranks, having caught wind of the news, swarmed to her doorstep in an endless stream to offer their congratulations and present gifts. This left Fu Yan immensely proud, and the congratulatory gifts soon piled up almost like a small mountain.