I Strengthened the Nation Through Infrastructure

It's finished! If there's an extra chapter you'd like to see, let me know.

My next book, The Cannon Fodder Second Male Lead's Substitute Bride, will be starting soon. The blurb is at the very bottom.

Green-tea, melodramatic gong who loves to mutter to himself (Xu Yanzhi) x loyal, big-hearted, ambitious shou (Min Yuyou)

After Xu Yanzhi died, he was bound to a System and became the eight-year-old emperor of the Yuan Kingdom.

It looked like he was destined to be a puppet emperor.

But then the top-tier aide Min Yuyou appeared.

From the start, things were at hellish difficulty: a prince was plotting to seize the throne, disasters were breaking out across the country, and the powerful clans controlling the economy refused to support him. He was ready to lie flat.

He never expected Min Yuyou to sort everything out.

Now that he had someone powerful to rely on, Xu Yanzhi clung to him. He acted weak and spoke in sugary, manipulative tones so Min Yuyou would feel sorry for him and become even more loyal.

...And Min Yuyou really did fall for it.

With Min Yuyou's help, he killed the prince, aided disaster-stricken regions, and launched a series of basic infrastructure projects there, including pilot programs for compulsory education, roads, and national hospitals.

He worked hard to ensure the people of Yuan had enough to eat, access to education, money to spend, convenient transportation, and happy lives.

Who knew that doing good deeds could make people resent him? Whenever he tried to do something, someone would try to kill him. Thankfully, Min Yuyou protected him every time.

He thought Min Yuyou was so strong! So charming! He liked him so much!

But how could Min Yuyou have a white moonlight?

And was he really just a stand-in for the white moonlight who died young?

Min Yuyou had followed two generations of emperors for the sake of the people, only for the emperor to want to date him.

Looking at the little emperor's pitiful face, as if he'd burst into tears the moment Min Yuyou turned him down...

...Fine. For the people, I'll sacrifice myself for the good of millions of families.

Little scene:

One day, the ministers once again told Xu Yanzhi to choose a consort.

When he got back, he complained to Min Yuyou: “Sir, look what they're doing!”

Min Yuyou said, “Your Majesty should start thinking about an heir.”

Xu Yanzhi cried, “You! You! You don't love me anymore!”

Min Yuyou said, “Your Majesty, I have never loved you. You should devote all your attention to revitalizing the Yuan Kingdom...”

Notes:

1. This is a slice-of-life novel, and Min Yuyou is a slow burn when it comes to romance.

2. They are devoted to each other, body and soul, from beginning to end.

3. A lot of things in the novel are made up by the author or cobbled together from things found online.

It's all to make the romance between the two feel natural, so please don't take it seriously.

Here's a preview of my next book.

[Slim, beautiful, gentle, well-behaved, sharp-tongued, quick-handed shou x cold, intimidating, keeps-people-at-a-distance, clingy, love-brained gong]

Shang Pingli died.

The good news: He came back to life and landed in a novel aimed at male readers.

The bad news: He wasn't the protagonist. He was a cannon-fodder substitute bride the heroine had picked at random to escape an arranged marriage, and he was marrying the cannon-fodder second male lead, whose whole family was exiled from the start and destined for ruin.

Even worse, the life-extending System he was bound to required him to complete a face-slapping task within one minute, or his soul would be destroyed.

Shang Pingli immediately launched a smooth combo of slaps.

From then on, to stay alive, Shang Pingli slapped people rather than bother talking to them. Anyone who came looking for trouble got a slap.

But the people he slapped were acting strangely.

Why did their faces all turn bright red and the tips of their ears burn whenever they saw him, while they stared straight at him?

Shang Pingli: ?

Why are you blushing like a teapot, hey!

What do you mean, you want to confess your feelings?

Are you in love with me or what?!

One day, Shang Pingli needed to rack up a task, so he made an excuse to slap Tong Xing, who had become foolish after being injured. To his surprise, Tong Xing took his hand and kissed it.

“My wife's hand smells so sweet. I want one on this side too.”

Shang Pingli's eyes widened in shock!

This wasn't right! Wasn't the fallen prince supposed to be cold and ruthless, with a love-brain only for the heroine?!

~

The moment the slap landed, Tong Xing knew he was reborn.

The bride who had died in her wedding sedan in his previous life was now alive and full of energy. The family who had died on the road to exile were all alive and well.

And he hadn't died a horrible death either.

It was just that this bride seemed completely different from the rumors.

The more Tong Xing looked at the person before him, the more he thought something was wrong with himself. Was he really crazy? Why did he want to get himself slapped?

In just 0.01 seconds, Tong Xing convinced himself: A slap is affection, a scolding is love, and when love runs deep, it gives you a kick... When will my wife kick me?

That very night, his wish came true. Shang Pingli couldn't take it anymore and kicked him off the bed.

Tong Xing grabbed Shang Pingli's foot and tried to climb back onto the bed, only to get another slap.

Tong Xing didn't even blink. He kept inching closer. “Wife, I want another one.”

~~

Tong Xing had recently discovered something troubling: Why were there so many “flies” around his darling wife?

They were always provoking him.

Including, but not limited to: “You're only a little closer to Lili because you met him first.”

“Think about it. Are you even good enough for Lili?”

“You useless loser who needs his wife to support him, how are you still alive?”

“I think Lili slapping you is his way of rewarding you!”

...And so on.

Tong Xing couldn't care less about them.

Whenever an annoying “fly” buzzed around his ear, he did just one thing.

He curled his tall, 192-centimeter frame into Shang Pingli's 175-centimeter embrace, looking pitiful as he lowered his eyes and complained: “Wife, they keep bullying me. You have to stand up for me!”

Shang Pingli had always been unable to resist someone whimpering pathetically, especially when they only did it for him. Of course he had to comfort him!

Notes: 1. There is a height difference. (The shou didn't grow taller because he was malnourished as a child.)

2. The shou is mildly beloved by all.

3. They are both physically and emotionally devoted to each other. This is a 1v1 sweet romance with no angst.

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