Harmony and the Foundations of a Prosperous Nation

Harmony between Emperor Nolan and Empress Serena is a blessing for all officials!

The officials of Eastlyn truly feel the deeper meaning of these words—and the benefits that come with it.

Thinking back to last New Year's Eve, only Emperor Nolan sat above them all, his cold, forbidding demeanor so intense that no one dared to eat or watch the performances. But this year?

With Empress Serena by his side, the officials instantly felt that this year's palace banquet was as warm as spring. Even the food, long gone cold, tasted better than ever.

It’s easy to see—next year will be even better!

When Emperor Nolan is in a good mood, the officials are blessed. This year, his generosity was unmatched—rewards were several times greater than last year, and many officials received imperial commendation.

Even the nervous, non-flattering officials got rewards from the Emperor—and a few words of praise too. It made them realize their hard work hadn’t gone unnoticed.

For a moment, these officials were so overjoyed they didn’t know what to do, praising Emperor Nolan’s wisdom and kneeling toward the palace in excitement...

“Emperor Nolan is wise, a blessing to all the people!” These officials, cautious all their lives and stuck in the same position for lack of connections, thought they’d spend their careers that way. Yet they never imagined the Emperor had noticed all their quiet efforts.

In that instant, every official’s heart truly warmed.

The New Year's Eve celebration also happened to be Little Dumpling's birthday. The Ministry of Rites went all out, and every official knew that Prince Nolan had no interest in women—so nobody dared to offer beauties to the Emperor at this moment.

After the main festivities, the prime minister led the entire court in presenting birthday gifts to the First Prince—Rory Dongling, their King of Phoenixfield.

Most of the gifts were all about showing off wealth and status. As for practicality? That barely mattered.

Serena couldn’t help thinking: At his age, what use does Little Dumpling have for ancient paintings, rare zithers, or one-of-a-kind manuscripts? What’s he supposed to do with Eastern Sea pearls and coral as tall as a grown man?

But that’s just how gift-giving works here. Whether it’s practical or not doesn’t matter—the important thing is that it’s extravagant, rare, and precious. That’s how you show you care.

Dorian Owen hadn’t managed to deliver his present yesterday, so his gift arrived together with those from the officials. Serena picked it out for a look, and the result...

“A Guide-Bee?” Serena stared at Dorian’s present, completely dumbfounded. “Does our son really need this? Is he as hopeless with directions as Dorian?”

Serena handed the Guide-Bee to Nolan, who didn’t even bother to look at it before tossing it aside. “Dorian must’ve mixed things up. Only he would need something like this.”

Serena just laughed, took the Guide-Bee out, and decided to have Zuo An raise it later. Dorian’s gift was heartfelt—there was no way she’d let it go to waste.

Besides Dorian’s gift, there were also presents from the Prince of Jiangnan and Prince Colin, all delivered on New Year’s Eve. Victor Yun and Caleb Wang’s gifts arrived with theirs too.

The Prince of Jiangnan and Prince Colin sent their share of Jiangnan’s next ten years of tax revenue as a birthday tribute to Little Dumpling—a gift that was clearly meant as tribute to Prince Nolan, or straight to the imperial treasury.

Victor Yun and Caleb Wang hand-crafted little dolls, clearly putting a lot of thought into them. Lizardman Smith also prepared a gift, which was placed alongside theirs.

There were so many gifts that Serena couldn’t possibly sort through them all. She only opened the ones from close friends and family; as for the officials’ presents, she checked the registry and had them sent straight to storage.

By the time everything was done, it was already late at night. Serena had been up all night yesterday and spent the whole day socializing today. Just thinking about having to greet the noblewomen tomorrow made her want to run for the hills.

“Just celebrating the New Year is exhausting!” Serena rubbed her sore waist, and couldn't help but glare at the culprit right beside her.

Nolan touched his nose, obediently stepped forward, and said, “Let me massage it for you.” His hands were already wrapped around Serena’s waist. Serena snapped out of it and immediately slapped his hand away. “Don’t!”

“I promise I won’t get carried away.” Nolan clung to her again, his big hands glued to Serena’s waist no matter how she moved—his palms never left her skin.

Serena was so tangled up she had no choice but to abandon her tidying and turn around to deal with Nolan’s teasing...

A man’s promises at moments like this are the least trustworthy—Serena had learned that lesson more than once. So this time, no matter what, she was determined not to let Nolan win...

Of course, as for whether she succeeded—well, the next day’s court and noblewomen’s audience spoke volumes. Seeing all the ministers smiling, it was clear the Emperor was in a great mood; and the noblewomen, dismissed early, knew the Empress hadn’t kept them long, sparing them plenty of suffering...

When the Emperor and Empress get along, there’s less drama in court and harem alike. Even those who’d schemed to push new beauties at the Emperor quickly abandoned the idea—just thinking of what happened to the Three Excellencies and the prime minister was enough to scare them off.

Nine clans wiped out! No one wanted to become a ‘family sinner.’ With the imperial couple so harmonious and the First Prince so clearly favored, and with the Emperor still young, if anyone wanted to send beauties, they’d have to wait until he lost interest in the Empress.

Under Nolan’s iron-fisted rule and Serena’s ruthless deterrence, Eastlyn’s officials have been on their best behavior—nobody dares meddle in imperial couple affairs, and everyone keeps their focus on state business.

From the Emperor’s New Year rewards for the ministers, it’s clear he values practical talent. Whether from commoner roots or aristocratic families, as long as they are loyal and hardworking, anyone can succeed in officialdom. The clearest example is Felix Fuller.

Born poor and once a minister of the Deposed Emperor, Felix Fuller’s ability and loyal heart have earned him the Emperor’s trust. He even brought his whole family into the Capital, and his mother received an official noblewoman’s rank thanks to her son’s achievements.

There’s also Young Marshal Colin Si, General Zhai, and Young Commander Owen—some come from noble families, others from rough backgrounds, but all are trusted and heavily used by the Emperor.

It’s still tough for commoners to rise to high nobility, but things are much better than before—at least now, there’s a real chance to compete. So when Nolan issued his New Year edict to launch the Imperial Examinations, all of Eastlyn—and the newly annexed Southlyn—erupted in excitement.

Southlyn no longer exists; its people are now Eastlyn subjects and can take part in the Imperial Exams just like anyone else.

This time, the Emperor’s exams cover not just civil service, but also military recruitment—and even special selection for experts in water control, mining, blacksmithing, construction, and every imaginable craft.

Every trade and skill is included. If you can think of it, you’ll find it here—the opportunities are endless.

Eastlyn is thriving; the Emperor’s focus has shifted from external wars to improving people’s lives and strengthening the state.

Nolan’s new policy has been welcomed nationwide. For ordinary people, not going hungry and living better lives matters far more than expanding borders.

Just like Serena always says: If you don’t eat enough, how do you have strength to fight? Frontline soldiers spend all day worrying about their parents and children not having enough to eat or wear—if their minds are so divided, how can they focus on killing the enemy?

All across Eastlyn, the atmosphere is ablaze with energy—everywhere you look, there’s prosperity, none of the usual post-war devastation. It’s enough to make anyone jealous, especially Northlyn, which fought all year and didn’t manage to seize a single grain of Eastlyn’s food...