This guy has always been outspoken since the beginning of summer.

  A "ancestors" shouted out, and for a long time, she didn't hear Zhao Zun speak. She herself was stunned for a moment. She was originally used to joking around, but in the past, scolding someone like this wouldn't have anyone saying anything. But thinking about it, Zhao Shi Jiu was a stubborn old man from ancient times. "Ancestors" were meant to be revered, not cursed at. Unavoidably, she felt a bit guilty.

  She leaned back her head and smiled, just about to apologize to him, but saw him prop himself up, letting out a cold snort.

  "An insult to literature."

  Seeing that he wasn't angry, Xia Chuyi let out a breath of relief and reached out to grab his neck, suppressing her voice as she laughed and asked, "Scolding me, huh? King Jin's Your Majesty is lustful for women, sneaking into bedrooms at night, forcing himself on other people's wives, morally corrupt. Compared to me, who's more shameful?"

  Zhao Zun didn't respond, his arm tightened, tightly wrapping around her waist as he lowered his head. In the midst of her uncontrollable giggles, he found her soft lips and kissed her fiercely. Xia Chuqi first burst out laughing, but under his intense kiss, she was filled with the light, delicate scent on his body. The longing that had been building up over these days suddenly flooded her mind. After a slight struggle, she turned around and hugged him tightly.

  Darkness blurred human vision.

  Darkness can heighten one's sense of touch and emotions.

  The two of them didn't say a word, silently kissing, no fancy moves, no legendary thunder and fire, just embracing, kissing, lips intertwined. After a while, he lay down beside her, holding her in his arms, with uneven breathing, softly asking her.

  "A Qi still hasn't responded to Grandfather's words."

  Your brain is all dizzy from being kissed, what does Xia Zhiqi still remember?

  "Which one?"

  He lowered his head and kissed her forehead.

  "These past few days, have you thought of me?"

  Wouldn't he? It's weird if he didn't.

  But women often say one thing and mean another.

  Lying lazily in his arms, she leaned against him, her fingers rhythmically drawing circles on his Adam's apple, feeling the hardness beneath her fingertips as they slid back and forth. She couldn't help but giggle and decided to use her fingernails to gently scratch it, getting more and more excited, and then added a particularly annoying sentence.

  "If you bring silver, I'll think of you; if you don't bring silver, I won't bother thinking of you."

  Zhao Zhu's arm tightened, and he pulled her in tightly once.

  "Shameless..."

  In her pained "hiss" sound, he placed his palm on her face, the temperature was astonishingly hot.

  "It's clear that someone can't bear the loneliness of the inner chamber, and has invited me to reminisce about old times and share a romantic tryst? Or could it be that you've forgotten?"

  The term "dūn lún" was not understood until the seventh day of summer, and it was only recently learned. Isn't this about getting married? Then, Mrs. Chengguo, who had never given birth to a child, personally taught her many things about "dūn lún", and she finally realized that the term "dūn lún", which sounds rigid, sacred, and serious, actually refers to the bedroom affairs of a husband and wife.

  She had been wanting to laugh earlier, and now hearing Zhao Zhuo's words, thinking of the face of the national wife, she couldn't help but laugh until she was out of breath. She poked at his chest with all her might, "Hehehe" like a little mouse that had stolen oil.

  "Alright, alright, I'm lonely, you're bored, we both can't bear it, is that okay? Tonight, coincidentally, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse, the weather is great. Although there's no auspicious cloud, no flower candles burning, and no nuptial chamber, I'll just make do..."

  She had learned to recite the trendy phrases of modern women, and after finishing this passage, she was already laughing so hard that she fell into his arms. However, he didn't laugh, but quietly looked at her in the darkness, as if he hadn't taken it as a joke at all. Suddenly, he flipped over and pressed down on her, his head buried in her neck, whispering a sentence in her ear.

  "Alright, I'll just make do."

  What a big-headed devil!

  Isn't this guy always very capable?

  She patted his broad and sturdy back, and Xia Chuqi let out a "go" sound.

  "Alright, alright, stop making a fuss. Some people are getting uncomfortable, but I don't care. Okay, I see you've had a tough time climbing over walls and jumping over fences tonight, so I specially made some delicious food for you, it's on the table. Get up and light the lamp yourself, try the flavor, has it improved?"

  She wanted to change the subject, but Zhao Zhuo wouldn't let her.

  "Is Ah Qi going to make it?"

  "Not going to just give in."

  "How dare you tease me? How will you compensate?"

  Even a joke needs compensation? You're so petty! Xia Chuqi pouted, looking up at him with eyes that seemed to hold a hint of mistiness under the moonlight outside the window. His chiseled face and shallow, narrowed eyes added to the hazy atmosphere, and his voice softened slightly.

  "How would you like to be compensated?"

  Zhao Zun didn't say anything, his nose tip touched hers.

  Slowly, his fingers brushed against her lips, and he made a suggestive "hmm" sound.

  "Ah Qi should be more proactive."

  At the beginning of summer, Qi Yue was stunned, her lips trembled slightly, and her cheeks suddenly felt like they had been burned by fire. Her ears seemed to be on fire too. Almost subconsciously, she opened her mouth and bit down on his restless fingers until she heard him let out a hiss, then she released her grip.

  "How dare you still spout nonsense?"

  Zhao Zhu tied up her hands and pressed them against the pillow, letting out a cold hum with an unclear mood.

  "Unwilling is one thing! How dare you bite your own grandfather? What a heinous crime!"

  Listening to his voice, which was not angry or resentful but slightly tinged with a hint of grievance, Xia Chuyi suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for him. Thinking that he, as the eldest son, had lived for over 20 years without ever having experienced the taste of a woman, it was indeed "pitiful". After a deep inner struggle, her curiosity got the better of her, but in the end, she still couldn't bring herself to look up and instead lowered her head in embarrassment.

  "You eat first... this matter, later, a bit later."

  Zhao Zhuang stared at her for a moment, his lips slightly raised, then got up to light the candles, sat down at the table, and opened the lid of the sandalwood food box. When he saw the seven square rose cakes inside, his eyes deepened slightly.

  "How was it? Wasn't it surprising?" Xia Chuqi asked lazily, leaning on the couch.

  Zhao Zhuo turned his head, looking at her pleased expression under the candlelight, and those big watery eyes that seemed to speak, furrowed his brow slightly, and pulled the food box over.

  "Get up and serve Master his meal."

  Propping up her head with one hand, Xia Qiuzi lay on her side, blinking once.

  "Is something wrong? You need someone to feed you, do you want me to open your mouth for you?"

  "Pour water! With your stinky skills, I'm afraid I'll choke."

  She knew that this guy always didn't have anything good to say, and Xia Zhichu was used to it, so she didn't take it seriously. She stretched her waist, smiled with a curved lip, walked to the outer room, picked up the warm water from the stove, poured him a cup and put it on the table, then yawned and sat down beside him.

  "Pour water once, ten ounces."

  "Dad just kissed you once, we're even."

  "No, no, I'm worth a different price now. As a county princess, I have to charge more, twenty taels."

  Zhao Zhuo elegantly and leisurely took a bite of the rose cake, casting her a faint glance, with some emotion.

  "Twenty taels? Twenty taels can buy two wives."

  Xia Zhi Qi smiled slightly, casually brushing away her scattered long hair, propping up her cheek to watch him eat, her face filled with joy, but her tone was disdainful. "Alright, no problem. Hurry up and finish eating, then leave with your silver, go buy a few more wives to take back to the manor, and stop bothering me."

  "Really?" Zhao Zun raised an eyebrow.

  "It's true! Who cares about you? There are many good guys lining up waiting for me..."

  "Is Grandpa really gone?"

  He made a move as if he was about to get up, and Xia Chuqi slapped him in anger.

  "How dare you!"

  His hand had just swung out and was caught by him in a smooth motion, grasped in his palm.

  She pulled her hand back, but he didn't let go, only a faint smile on the corner of his lips as he gazed at the small, delicate white hand with neatly trimmed and rounded fingernails that shone with a soft pink luster, unable to help but feel some reluctance to release it.

  "Grandpa's Ah Qi, when did you become so delicate?"

  What's going on? On the seventh day of summer, the skin tightened and all the hairs stood up.

  "Zhao Nineteen, dare you be even more shameless?"

  Zhao Zhen's eyes narrowed, clearly not quite understanding what she meant by "corny". But having gotten used to her often blurting out words that weren't easy to understand, he just fell silent for a moment, roughly grasping the meaning and not asking further questions. His gaze focused on her, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light in the shadow of the lamp.

  "Pervert......?"

  He slowly took her hand and kissed it lightly on the lips.

  "It tastes good."

  On the seventh day of the first month of summer, a red face appears. "Is it boasting about people or boasting about rice cakes?"

  This remark is obviously asking for trouble in front of Zhao Shi Jiu.

  She furrowed her brow, released her hand and picked up a cake.

  "A cake is better than nothing."

  Gritting her teeth, Xia Qiuli glared at him, "Thanks! Since this cake is so delicious, you have to finish it all for me? I worked hard to make it, not too much or too little, exactly seven pieces. If you don't finish them, see if I'll still make any for you in the future."

  Seven is indeed a bit too many.

  And on July 7th, Xia discovered that Zhao Zhu actually didn't like eating sweets.

  He glanced at her, Zhao Zun's expression unchanged, "Forget it, forget it. Since Ah Qi is so vengeful, I'll speak the truth. Rose cake is delicious, but not as delicious as Ah Qi. Who knows what pleases a beauty, and has a different fragrance that captivates the soul?"

  Xia Qi wasn't a thin-skinned girl, she had said and heard many shameless words before, but when it came to Zhao Zun, her heart skipped a beat. It was as if she had put him in a special place in her heart, and even the most ordinary words could take on a different tone.

  Her face flushed red as she glanced over sideways.

  "Hooligan!"

  Zhao's lips curled up slightly at the corners, faintly revealing a hint of a smile that seemed almost imperceptible.

  Little hooligan.

  Soft candlelight flickers inside the window, while outside, the banana leaves cast sparse shadows.

  Two people sat together, eating pastries, the longing in their hearts for several days unseen, actually had no way to express their innermost thoughts. The hesitant and evasive tone was filled with that kind of sentiment that wanted to be expressed but couldn't be put into words, and not expressing it made their hearts feel anxious and fluttered. And then there were those moments when they were alone at night, the awkwardness that couldn't be cut off or tidied up.

  After changing for later generations...

  A man and a woman, one joyful and one happy, on such a night, will certainly not let the bed sheets be empty.

  But this is in the Great Yan Dynasty...

  At the beginning of summer, Xia's heart was racing, and it took a while to pull back her wandering thoughts. She picked up another piece of rose cake and sent it to his mouth, not knowing whether he did it on purpose or unintentionally. He swallowed her finger in one bite and gently sucked it in his mouth for a moment.

  The distance from her fingertips to her heart was unknown to her.

  All I know is that this move by Zhao Zhuo was really deadly.

  In an instant, her whole body was hot.

  "I hate it!"

  Zhao's eyes dimmed slightly, "Fool!"

  Two people talked and talked, but didn't hear a single good word from each other's mouth.

  One "hate", one "fool".

  The emotions between the lovers are so subtle, "hate" is eating pastries and always looking at "fool". "Fool" is holding tea water, afraid that "hate" will choke, constantly patting back and handing over water, that silent warmth, it seems that "hate" doesn't seem to be truly hateful, and "fool" doesn't seem to be a real fool. "Hate" is strong and handsome, "Fool" is delicate and lovely, coming and going, you glance at me, this scene makes the little horse in the window birdcage's heart flutter, from time to time making a few "cluck" sounds...

  The moonlight outside is drunk...

  The room is quiet, and at this moment, silence is more powerful than sound.

  "Ah Qi..."

  After eating a few pieces of rose cake and rinsing his mouth, Zhao Zun finally thought of his compensation.

  "Has Grandpa eaten enough?"

  As soon as he heard his slightly drunken, mellow voice, Xia Chuqi's eyelashes fluttered wildly, and she felt like her heart was swelling up like the tide. One wave crashed against another, each one higher than the last, and her face turned a deep pink like white jade stained red. The sound that came out of her mouth was like sweet, sticky pastries melting in her mouth, dissolving, dissolving...

  She steeled herself as if she were going into battle.

  What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, they will end up together sooner or later. What shouldn't a couple do between themselves?

  She gave him a glance and softly said "uh-huh", then glanced at the nearby soft couch.

  "Shall we go to bed?"

  Zhao Zhu looked at her, and his lips twitched slightly.

  "A Qi......?"

  "Are you going or not?" Xia Chuqi was both embarrassed and uneasy.

  Zhao Zhen's eyebrows jumped up and down, but she didn't say anything more, and still took off her boots and got onto the bed.

  Looking at him, looking at him, Xia Qi's saliva became more and more abundant. She swallowed again and again, her eyelids blinking repeatedly for a while before she reluctantly opened her mouth with a blush.

  "What's going on? Let me make one thing clear first... I've never done this before either..."

  "Hmm?" Zhao Zun stared at her, expecting an explanation next time.

  "Hmm what hmm?"

  Xia Zhi Qi sat beside him, biting her lip slightly, looking at him with a faintly embarrassed gaze. It was clear that she was not calm in her heart. Wanting to speak but hesitating, wanting to say something but stopping herself, her face seemed to still hold a hint of awkwardness, and even the tip of her nose had a fine layer of sweat...

  "Let me tell you, if I don't do well, don't blindly shout?"

  Zhao's eyes sparkled with amusement as he murmured a low "hmm".

  Nothing happened...

  She bit her lip again, and Xia Chuiqiu hesitated for a moment.

  "No way. You, you that one, close your eyes first."

  Zhao Zun looked at her deeply and indeed closed his eyes.

  Seeing him being honest, Xia's courage also increased a lot. She lowered her head and carefully examined his tightly closed eyes to make sure he didn't have any ulterior motives. Only then did she put her mind at ease, suppressing the chaotic heartbeat, and slowly placed her fingers on the buttons of his collar. One by one, her trembling hands unbuttoned the buttons, and after a while, her hand finally landed on his jade belt, undoing it, and then moving down...

  "Ah Qi..."

  Zhao Zhuang suddenly opened his eyes, and at the bottom of his pupils, in addition to joy, there was an indescribable smile.

  "What are you going to do?"

  On the seventh day of summer, grinding teeth, face already burned bright red.

  "You're asking despite knowing! Aren't you looking for me to compensate you?"

  Zhao's eyes flickered slightly as he gazed at her with a serious expression.

  "Grandpa just wanted to give a kiss, what were you thinking, Ah Qi?"

  On the seventh day of summer, her eyes were wide open and her slightly parted lips could no longer be closed.

  She dares to guarantee that if she still had the dagger in her hand, she would have stabbed him to death on the spot. Zhao Shi Jiu is simply a human scum, a despicable person who has reached the extreme of being a rascal. He deliberately led her into wild thoughts, then coaxed her into agreeing willingly, but at the last moment, he came to tease her, making her lose face and look like she was very bad, very promiscuous...

  The heart "thumps thumps thumps" like a drumbeat...

  Xia Chuqi bit her lower lip and stared at him word by word.

  "Zhao Shi Jiu, you're really despicable!"

  Zhao Zun's large sleeves fluttered slightly as he raised his hand and pinched her nose tip, his voice becoming hoarse.

  "Ah Qi, how could Father bear to treat you like that? Come here and lie down."

  "What's wrong with lying down?"

  At the beginning of summer, she had a lump of unvented fire in her heart, and she slapped his paw fiercely, turning her back on him and refusing to talk to him. But with a sudden tightening of her waist, he suddenly tightened his grip on her, pushing her onto the couch with lightning speed, pinning her down. For a moment, the tassels on the couch rustled "shasha", the beaded curtain on the bed frame rattled "huala" sound, she struggled uncomfortably for a few times, and angrily shouted at him.

  "Zhao Zun, you scoundrel, what else do you want to do? You've eaten the rose cake and finished playing jokes, why don't you hurry up and leave some silver behind, and return to your Jin Wang Fu. There are plenty of young women waiting for you to go back and sleep..."

  Zhao raised an eyebrow and smiled quietly.

  "Grandpa would be happy to sleep with you."

  Mumbling to herself, Xia Zhi was so annoyed that she couldn't take it anymore. Struggling reluctantly, her hands were tied up by him, and when the chill on her fingertips was warmed by his dry big hands, her anger also subsided.

  "Whatever, I'm too lazy to bother with you—"

  Zhao Zhuo let out a sigh of relief, one hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her body close to his scorching hot chest. A hint of a smile played on the corner of his lips, "Not angry anymore? Ah Qi, if you're really worried, I wouldn't mind either..."

  Are you worried?

  His whole family is worried sick!

  Xia Zhong Qi glared at him fiercely, feeling that their ancestors' faces had been lost because of her.

  "Go, go, go, don't even think about it for this lifetime..."

  Zhao Zhen's eyes darkened slightly.

  As he looked at her, his voice was gone.

  The seventh day of summer was over, and the cicada's loud chirping had stopped, leaving only silence.

  The house fell silent, except for breathing, nothing else existed.

  Their eyes met, and the warm air circulated between them. His hands involuntarily clenched, clenched again, until they couldn't clench any tighter, when she felt like he was going to strangle her to death with another squeeze. But he didn't move again, frozen stiff for a long time, until those hands slowly relaxed, relaxed, and relaxed some more, until his tall body thudded down beside hers, lying flat on his back, silent for a while.

  Xia Chuqi took a deep breath, her heart racing with excitement.

  Never eaten pork, but have seen pigs walking on the road.

  She certainly knew that his body had just beastized and didn't go well, knowing he wanted to.

  "Older brother and older sister" are together again in such an era.

  That's so embarrassing, it's really hard to bring up.

  "Thump thump thump" - whose heartbeat is faster?

  Xia Qi's heart was racing as she thought about what had just happened. In Zhao Zhu's eyes, sneaking into a girl's room at night and doing something so outrageous was already overstepping the line. Unlike her own shy nature, his heart must have been struggling with turmoil.

  She smiled faintly after a long silence.

  "What's wrong?"

  By his side, came the sound of his labored sighs.

  "It's just one month."

  It was as if she was talking to him, yet also talking to herself. His muffled voice made Xia Chuqi let out a snort, and she couldn't help but relax her tense body, intentionally reaching out to touch him. But with just one touch, she realized that his body was stiff and unyielding. So, in order not to appear awkward, she changed the subject after rolling her eyes around.

  "Are you going back tonight?"

  As soon as she spoke out, she realized that this topic was also embarrassing.

  Zhao Zun turned his head, his black eyes staring at her for a moment, then suddenly opened his arms.

  "A Qi, come into Grandpa's arms..."

  She puckered her lips and smiled, Xia Chu Qi rolled over to him with a giggle, letting him hold her, resting her head on his shoulder. However, she heard him let out a faint sigh, one hand supporting her waist, no longer moving restlessly.

  "I'm not going back."

  A strange warmth in her heart, Xia Chu muttered a soft "en" and shifted her body closer to him.

  "Have you handled those things outside?"

  This time it really went off topic.

  Zhao Zhen fell silent for a moment, and then responded in a light tone with one hand gently patting her, "The military is unstable, the people are uneasy, the people are uneasy, and the country is unstable. Although the mutiny has been resolved, it is inevitable that the military commander of the capital will be replaced."

  As a soldier himself since childhood, how could he not understand its meaning?

  A person who stays in a nest for a long time becomes familiar. When people are familiar, their feelings deepen. Soldiers mostly only listen to the words of their immediate superiors, and military commanders frequently change shifts, so soldiers and generals are not familiar with each other, and unfamiliarity will not lead to changes. This principle applies to both ancient and modern times.

  "Does your head hurt?" She didn't ask too much, her hand pinched his waist.

  Zhao Zun murmured a soft "hmm" and pulled her closer, resting his chin on top of her head.

  "A Qi, this June, at the latest August, we can go north."

  April 7th, a grand wedding, June, heading north, what a wonderful plan. Beiping Prefecture, thinking of that place, Xia Zhi's heart was also warm. Hundreds of years later, she was born in a place historically known as Beiping Prefecture too.

  She fell silent for a moment, then slightly turned her body, pursed her lips and smiled, raised her hand to smooth his hair, and then put it back, rubbing her hands back and forth until her fingers were warm, before slowly massaging his temples again.

  "Grandpa, these days I need to find my cousin, there are many things I need to take care of."

  Zhao Zhuo hummed softly, closed his eyes and enjoyed the gentleness of her fingers. After a while, he suddenly said, "A Qi, there's something I need to tell you."

  "What's wrong? Why so serious?"

  Zhao Zhen pulled down her hand, held it in his own, and gently stroked it. In a cool tone, he said, "The family member of the great bull from Qingzhou Prefecture had an accident. His fiancée died. The master sent someone to investigate, and it was indeed done by someone from Jin Gong's household... That head of Jin Gong has already been punished."

  What?

  Incredibly shocked, Xia Chui almost subconsciously sat up.

  "You're saying, Yuan Ge... is dead?"

  Zhao Zun pulled her down and held her in his arms, patting her back gently.

  "Yes."

  A single "yes" represents the end of a person's life.

  At the same time, Xia Chuyi also connected the dots. On that day, when she went to Jinxiu Building to see Hu Zi, Hu Zi said that Yuan Ge had taken on a big business and led the brothers out of the capital. At that time, she didn't take it seriously at all, but unexpectedly, it turned out that the "big business" Yuan Xing took on was actually going to ambush Chen Daniu's family members, and even killed his fiancée who had not yet entered the door?

  Who is it?

  Who spent money to buy Chen Daniu's unmarried daughter-in-law's life?

  She tightly closed her eyes, and her heart was in a state of frantic turmoil.

  "Grandfather, I won't hide it from you. Earlier when I went to investigate my cousin's situation, I found out that she had contact with Yuan Xing before. I'm afraid this matter is also related to her. Do you have any news about her?"

  Zhao You lowered his head and glanced at her, his palm warm as he stroked her back.

  "Grandpa sent someone to investigate. Those were all men, no women."

  Slightly relieved, Xia Zhi's mouth couldn't express the awkwardness.

  "I'm a bit puzzled, how could it be like this? Grandfather, I know Yuan Xing. This man has a strong sense of justice and is very loyal. He even helped me before. The Jin Gong he leads may be a group of outlaws, but they only eat 'side dishes' (i.e., they don't rob the rich to give to the poor). He once said that he would never go against the imperial court, let alone rob the family members of Ding An..."

  "Ah Qi!" Zhao Zun's tone turned serious before she could finish speaking, "From now on, don't have any more dealings with those people."

  She pouted and Xia Qi said she couldn't quite put into words the feeling in her heart.

  After hesitating for a long time, she asked, "Those things of mine, you know them all?"

  Zhao Zun lightly said "en", his emotions unclear.

  "Summer Seventh looked up, 'You... aren't blaming me?'"

  Another soft "hmm", Zhao Zhu said calmly, "You are Grandfather's queen, Grandfather has to protect you."

  Her nose slightly sour, Xia Zhiqi felt her emotions suddenly surge to a peak.

  It's hard to say whether it's bitter, sad, heartbreaking or... devastating.

  Worrying about Li Miao, unfortunately Yuan Xing, and thinking of Zhao Zhu's everything knowing, but never blaming her... The result was too unexpected, one after another unexpected, making her heart very uncomfortable. For Chen Da Niu's discomfort, for Chen Da Niu's wrongly killed fiancée's discomfort, actually also a bit for Yuan Xing that straightforward man's discomfort. But these discomforts, can't be shown too much in front of Zhao Zhu.

  After a long while, she sniffled and asked something irrelevant in a vague manner.

  "Is Big Brother Cow still in prison?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Nothing will happen to him, will it?"

  Zhao Zun closed his eyes, as if he had fallen into a state of drowsiness.

  "It won't happen naturally."

  On the seventh day of summer, her heart was uneasy, and she asked in a low voice, "How can you be so sure?"

  After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Zhu lowered his head and pecked her forehead gently.

  "Your Majesty will certainly give him two options."

  "What choice?"

  "He is the Left General of the Golden Guard, either to be stripped of his title and imprisoned, or even sentenced to death or exile. Or he would marry the Princess of Jinghua, and resume his original position... If Master guessed correctly, he will soon be promoted. Now that Xia Tingde has been deprived of his command, the Golden Guard is such a big burden, ordinary people can't handle it, and Dacow is undoubtedly the best candidate..."

  Xia Chuqi is a sensible person.

  As soon as Zhao Zhuo spoke, everything became clear.

  The Golden Army was originally a tiger-like division, with arrogant soldiers and fierce generals. From south to north, they had fought countless hard battles, and the men who emerged from the blood were not afraid of death. It would not be an exaggeration to describe them as desperados. The army during wartime was completely different from that during peacetime. They could disobey imperial orders, disregard the emperor, and even stage a military coup to protect their dignity. Only those familiar with their habits and worthy of their respect could make them obey. Therefore, if someone else were to lead the troops, regardless of who it was, the outcome would likely be similar to that of Xia Tingde. The old emperor needed to subdue this army, and he wanted a tiger-like general. Chen Daniu was undoubtedly someone he had been eyeing for a long time; otherwise, he would not have wanted to give him the Princess of Jinghua when they returned to court last time.

  Xia Chuiqi moistened her lower lip, "Will Big Brother Niu agree?"

  Zhao Zun paused for a long time before saying, "The old father and mother of the Dai family, as well as his brother's wife and children, are all coming to Beijing. They are currently being accommodated at the Ding'an Marquis' residence. If something happens to him, what will happen to his family? As for Dai Niu, he will definitely agree to this marriage."

  Listening to him analyzing the pros and cons, Xia Chuyi's heart was chilled.

  It's comforting to think about it again and put your mind at ease a bit.

  "After all, is Big Brother Cow your legitimate brother? He accepted Jin Wei's army, that's also a good thing..."

  "It's...," Zhao Zhen drawled, "because, Your Majesty still needs me."

  A single word "use", spoken in a very low tone. Xia Zhiqi's nose suddenly turned sour, and from the middle, he heard an inexplicable and unclear tone of sorrow. When a son describes his father with such a word, what kind of helplessness and heartache must he be feeling?

  Looking at Zhao Zun's calm face, Xia Chuqi was not calm at all.

  "Come to think of it, the mutiny was just a trap, wasn't it? From Yuanyou's injury... he started recuperating at home, then Daniu went out of camp to pick up his family, and then his fiancée was killed, after which he was imprisoned. Taking advantage of this, he also purged the Golden Guard. Next, Your Majesty will give Princess Jinghua to Daniu. But Princess Jinghua is Zhao Jintze's own sister... Sir, these things aren't coincidences at all, are they? It's just like playing chess. One move connects to another, and it's all about who benefits most, who has the greatest suspicion..."

  Zhao Yu did not answer her.

  After a long time, he firmly held her hand and told her another thing.

  "Ah Qi, on April 7th, it's just our big wedding day for the two of us."

  After savoring his words, Xia Qiuzi finally realized what he meant. So, her big wedding was no longer a "group purchase"? Her heart suddenly filled with joy, she pounced over and hugged his waist, rubbing her head against his chest like a little rabbit that had been petted, clinging to him tightly, but only uttering one word.

  "Grandpa..."

  She had met many relatives before, but she couldn't find that feeling. Everyone thought her vision was high, and even she herself couldn't figure out what kind of man she wanted to find, what kind of emotion she was waiting for...

  Until today.

  At this moment, she finally understood.

  She had been searching for two lifetimes, just wanting a man who could indulge her.

  Indulge her unorthodox thoughts, indulge her illogical temper, indulge her various shortcomings, indulge her absurd words and deeds, even if the whole world thinks she should be killed, there is still one person... silently, always indulging him.

  ……

  ……

  From Naza's inquiry about the name, Jin Wang's grand wedding preparations began in a lively and bustling manner.

  But due to the sudden death of the crown prince, the originally scheduled selection in February also went bankrupt. However, Emperor Hongtai, in order to accumulate virtue and blessings for the seriously ill Empress Zhang, lavishly rewarded the concubines of the six palaces, and also gave rewards to the wives of various princes and ministers. Of course, he did all this in the name of Empress Zhang. Such actions naturally made Empress Zhang's virtuous reputation spread even further, and soon it was known throughout the four seas.

  It's hard for the heavens to see good deeds and accumulated blessings, Empress Zhang's illness is getting worse by the day, vomiting blood nonstop, even the grand ceremony at the Ancestral Temple, she can't get out of bed to attend.

  On the seventh day of summer, she heard from Zhao Zun that the old emperor asked her to diagnose the disease, and she was not heartbroken. After the death of the crown prince, the truth about the "Wei Guo Gong case" that she could no longer touch was once again opened for her.

  However, she did not immediately enter the palace and used the same excuse as Zhao Jun, claiming that her body was not well and could only go after a few days. In her opinion, a person's value lies in being able to do what others cannot, and only she can do it. By dragging things out for a while, she would exhaust the old emperor's will, and when the time came, she would have the capital to negotiate.

  Of course, she didn't tell Zhao Zhuoming about this matter.

  Who is Zhao Yun?

  She blinked her eyes and he seemed to know what she was thinking.

  But he didn't interfere with her decision.

  Everything is developing just as Zhao Zu predicted.

  The case of Chen Daniu had not been brought to trial, and on the third day after his imprisonment, the old emperor sent his grandson Zhao Mianze to visit Chen in prison, and gave him an oral decree, saying that he intended to marry Princess Jinghua to him as his wife.

  However, contrary to Zhao's expectations, Chen Daniu was indeed a stubborn man. His wife had already died before she could enter his household, and he had been imprisoned for so many days, yet he still understood the emperor's implicit meaning, but he insisted on not agreeing, saying that he wanted to remain chaste for his deceased wife, and would rather sit out his prison sentence than "marry up" to a princess.

  The old emperor naturally did not want to kill this tiger general.

  But Chen Daniu did not cater to the emperor's temperament, which also gave him a headache.

  Things have come to an impasse.

  These days, the capital city is very peaceful, and the people are happy and harmonious.

  The war between the Great Yan Dynasty thousands of miles away and the Northern Di had not stopped.

  Previously, General Tao Jingwu, who led the northern expedition on behalf of Emperor Feng Hongtai, arrived in Qingzhou with 1.5 million soldiers and clashed several times with the army led by the Northern Di Crown Prince Hasar. The Northern Di Crown Prince Hasar fought and retreated, entangled with the Yan army, each suffering casualties, but still unable to determine the outcome.

  Hong Tai 25 years March 1st.

  A bloody urgent memorial was sent from Qingzhou Prefecture to the capital.

  In the memorial, on February 20th, Yan Jun's scouts grasped the route and formation chart of the Northern Di Crown Prince Hasaal, General-in-Chief Tao Jingwu was overjoyed, hastily marched fifty miles to insert deeply, directly attacking the residence of Northern Di Crown Prince Hasaal, launching a total of three rounds of surprise attacks.

  In this battle, they fought for three days and nights. The Yan army took the initiative and won a complete victory, capturing more than 20,000 prisoners, including a Northern Di king, as well as countless horses, cattle, sheep, gold, silver, and jewels. This greatly damaged the morale of the Northern Di, and their crown prince, Hesar, led the remnants in retreat.

  But killing 3,000 enemies and losing 800 of our own is common sense in the era of cold weapons.

  In this battle, the vanguard of Yan's army, which led the charge, had more than 3,000 soldiers killed.

  Tao Jingwu requested an imperial edict, asking the court to grant further military action.

  Hong Tai Emperor was moved by this, personally took the yellow book of the vanguard camp officers and soldiers, and dispatched the Ministry of War to comfort their families. However, war is always about killing people. Hong Tai Emperor had experienced seven northern expeditions, although the Northern Di were greatly defeated and had already withdrawn from the Great Yan territory, how could he be willing to stop?

  On the morning of March 2, there was another debate about whether to fight or not. In the end, Emperor Hongtai still adopted the suggestion of "war" and immediately ordered Tao Jingwu to gather the local garrisons in Qingzhou, pursue the victory, and capture the Northern Di prince Hasaer, forcing the Northern Di king to surrender and negotiate.

  An urgent military order was dispatched from the capital and headed for Qingzhou.

  Beacon fires are lit all along the border, but in the capital, spring is still in full bloom.

  On the third day of March, it was the day when Xia Qi and Zhao Zun made an appointment to enter the palace to visit Zhang Huanghou and Zhao Ziyue's illness.

  Early in the morning, Qing Lan started dressing her up.

  The girl in the mirror, wearing a narrow-sleeved and obliquely collared floral blouse, had a simple hairstyle, with a single green jade hairpin inserted between her hair, apart from that, there was no other adornment or makeup on her body. Unlike ordinary women's gentle elegance, she was clear and elegant, with an extra air of ease and elegance, especially those big black eyes, rolling around with extraordinary cleverness, very striking.

  "No way, no way, this is absolutely unacceptable."

  Xia Chui looked at herself in the mirror with a frown on her face.

  The old emperor was a man, he didn't know Xia Chu's mother was very normal.

  Ke Zhang Huang Hou is a woman, she might know?

  Does she look like Xia Chu's mother?

  What if Empress Zhang found out?

  She let out a soft "hiss" and, under the puzzled gaze of Qing Lian and Mei Zi, quickly grabbed the eyebrow pencil from her dresser, applied it in a flurry, and actually made her beautifully drawn eyebrows three times thicker, also making her skin look darker and thinner. After that, she even added a black mole between her eyebrows, and painted her lips thicker and larger, completely ruining her originally delicate and pretty face. Only then did she curl up her "bloodthirsty big mouth" and nod in satisfaction.

  "Not bad, this is good, this is good. Very beautiful! Alright!"

  She was lavishing praise on herself without restraint.

  Behind her, Qing Lan and Mei Zi stood face to face, their hair disheveled in the wind.

  Although Zhao Zun no longer brought troops, the position of General Wang was still there. During the grand ceremony, he also had to go to the palace. Today is a day for the grand ceremony, and it wasn't until after the ceremony that he came to the Chengguo Gong Mansion with Yuan Hongchu on horseback. The two of them chatted in the front hall for a while before he got into a carriage with Xia Chuyi and headed towards the Imperial City.

  All the way, Xia Qiqi chattered incessantly.

  Spring is a good season, the wind is not big, not cold, nor hot, today is another day that can't be described as good weather, her mood is very refreshing. But just when she was admiring the flowers and willows with a smile, Zhao Zun's face turned dark and gloomy, like a layer of haze that couldn't be dispersed.

  "Hey, what's wrong with you?" Xia Chuyi asked in confusion.

  Zhao Zun furrowed his brow and sighed after a while.

  "The two demons disappeared."

  Xia Qiqi let out a cold breath, "Is it over?"

  Zhao Zun nodded slightly and closed his eyes, "The vanguard camp of over 3,000 people was completely annihilated."

  He said a few words with some choking, and finally said again.

  "At first, there were twelve of them, who made a blood oath and became sworn brothers of different surnames, vowing to live and die together. Over the years, Er Gui followed me through countless battles, numerous near-death experiences...who would have thought that he would actually fall on the battlefield in Mo Bei..."

  Silently watching him, Xia Qi didn't know how to comfort him.

  No war is without its dead.

  It can also be said that death is the norm in war.

  Zhao Kui let the two ghosts go to the vanguard camp, of course, he didn't want him to die.

  Her heart was leaking with wind, and after a moment of silence, she reached out and covered his hand with hers.

  "It's none of your business, old man."

  Zhao Zhen's eyes were calm and cool, without looking at her, "There is no need for concern, people will eventually die."

  "That's good, sir. I'll sing a song for you?" Xia Chuqi smiled and shook her head, "Guaranteed that you've never heard it before, how about it? For just ten taels of silver, I'll sing for you today, sir. Of course, this song isn't just for your ears...it's also for...for Ghost Brother."

  Her voice was also choked with sobs.

  Zhao Zhuang glanced at the top of the car and turned his head sideways after a long while.

  "Good, you sing well, I'll reward you with a hundred taels."

  "It's settled —" Xia Qiqi cleared her throat, narrowed her eyes slightly, and almost instantly a melody surged up.

  Smoke rises, gazing north at the rivers and mountains

  The dragon rises and rolls up, the horse neighs loudly, the sword energy is like frost.

  My heart is like the boundless Yellow River water, in twenty years of ups and downs, who can stand against me?

  With fierce desire and madness, where the long sword points, how many loyal hands and feet, faithful souls are buried in a foreign land?

  What a pity to die for one's country, yet have no words to express it, with tears of blood filling the eyes.

  Horses' hooves head south, people gaze north. People gaze north, grass is green and yellow, dust flies high.

  I wish to defend our territory and expand our borders, a majestic China will be admired by all, come celebrate...

  ……

  This kind of passionate and stirring song, her voice doesn't sound very good when singing it.

  Of course, she didn't always sing well, and compared to Gu Ajiao's "Bi Yun Tian", it was like two different tunes. But with red-rimmed eyes, she still sang clearly word by word. She knew that although her singing wasn't good, from the perspective of understanding the army and understanding soldiers, her heart was in sync with Zhao Zhu's.

  "How is it? Sounds good?" She asked with a smile.

  Looking at her silently, Zhao asked, "Very good, where did you learn it?"

  "In the early summer of July, she smacked her lips and said, 'I used to hear people sing this in my hometown.'"

  "The person who can write this song must be extraordinary."

  It is.

  By the time they arrived, the carriage had already entered the imperial city gate. Zhao Zun's eyes turned cold as he grasped Xia Chuqi's hand and began to instruct her on what to do when she met Empress Zhang later. Xia Chuqi listened quietly, only nodding in response.

  Just then, a loud voice came from outside the carriage, "Halt!"

  The voice was very familiar, and with just one pause, the carriage came to a stop.

  Outside, it's the sound of a foolish person getting angry.

  "I'm looking for Nineteen Uncle, I want my wife..."

  Digression

  Kneel down and beg, where can't you be pitied? (Vote for me!) Vote, come on!

  Also, please don't blame me for the update time of Second to None. I can responsibly say that I've done my best. The publishing house has been urging me to submit the manuscript for publication, and I've been working day and night to revise it. Old readers should know that Second to None has never delayed updates due to publication, including the two previous books. We didn't drag out the ending or intentionally delay it... By now, have you all fallen deeply in love with me?

  Thank you

  Dear Zhao Zun's red pants have been upgraded to Jie Yuan. (Why did I see this name, it was a deep drunkenness, always drunk, so drunk that I couldn't even pull myself up... Hoooo...)