This time, the Duke of Chengguo did not merely pass by Dingzhou City without entering.
The main army camped outside the city as per protocol, while the Duke of Chengguo, along with his personal guards and deputy generals, entered the city at the invite of Dingzhou officials.
After all, this was his city.
The Duke of Chengguo oversaw Hebei Road, commanding three armies, and the prefecture offices followed his orders.
Though there was friction with the emperor's directives in the past—some troops retreating without heeding the Duke's orders—now that the Duke returned, without defying imperial decrees and with no punishment issued by the emperor, he remained the supreme commander of Hebei Road.
He dared to lead troops deep into the Jurchen Territory, forcing them into a full retreat. He remained a god of war, invincible and unparalleled.
Moreover, he was alive, in robust health and high spirits.
He was still a towering force in the northern lands, unshakeable and mighty.
After the initial meeting in the hall, a banquet was laid out, featuring large platters of meat and bowls of wine.
The officials of Dingzhou stood up in succession to offer toasts when suddenly a young woman standing behind the Duke of Chengguo whispered something into his ear.
The Duke of Chengguo smiled and nodded.
The young woman then instructed the servant girls nearby to select a few dishes and place them in front of the Duke.
The hall fell into a strange silence as everyone watched this scene unfold.
"The Duke has sustained some injuries and needs to watch his diet," Miss Jun explained with a smile to the gathered crowd.
So, he had been injured.
The officials' gazes fell on the Duke of Chengguo, noting that he appeared unharmed and steady.
Still, those in such high positions tended to take special care of their bodies. After a great battle, proper restoration was necessary.
Everyone nodded in agreement, with someone even proposing to summon a doctor immediately.
"That won't be necessary," the young woman replied with a smile. "The appropriate medications have already been administered."
The officials glanced at the Duke of Chengguo, whose smile remained silent yet unwavering.
No one dared press further.
A servant girl hesitated, moving toward the wine jug as if to remove it.
"About the wine..." Miss Jun spoke up, addressing everyone in the hall. "Today is a joyous occasion; we really should drink."
So, drinking was allowed.
The officials quickly raised their cups to offer toasts.
But Miss Jun picked up the wine herself.
"However, the Duke of Chengguo will not be drinking," she said.
Zhu Zan's heart skipped a beat. He glanced sideways and, sure enough, Miss Jun's gaze landed on him.
"Fathers and sons fight battles together," Miss Jun said with a knowing smile, setting the wine jug in front of him. "Hence, let the Lord Heir drink in his stead."
All eyes turned to Zhu Zan.
Zhu Zan, resting his hand against his forehead, straightened himself in his seat with a casual flick of his hand.
"Naturally," he chuckled, grabbing the jug. "Come, come. Tonight, we drink to the last drop!"
The officials in the hall immediately raised their cups, laughing in unison.
Miss Jun stepped back with a smile.
As the crowd drank and exchanged pleasantries, their gazes slyly drifted toward her. They saw her lean toward the Duke of Chengguo again, whispering a few words, to which he nodded with a smile. Then, she quietly excused herself from the side.
Only then did everyone breathe a tentative sigh of relief, though a strange feeling lingered in the air.
It felt as if both the Duke of Chengguo and the Lord Heir deferred entirely to this woman.
Who was this woman?
"Don't you know?" a general seated at the back whispered to a newly arrived official. "That's the Heir's Wife of the Duke of Chengguo."
The Duke reportedly managed to return safely from Yizhou due to this Heir's Wife persuading the Shun'an Army and personally accompanying the mission.
"So it's no surprise the Duke and Lord Heir listen to her," whispered another official. "After all, it's a debt of life-saving grace."
The officials in front couldn't help but turn around.
"Who exactly is this Heir's Wife?" one asked softly. "I've heard she's extraordinary—leading the Qingshan Army and wielding numerous divine weapons. Otherwise, how could the Shun'an Army, with just a few thousand men, sweep through the opposition like that?"
"Who else could she be?" another whispered. "Just like the Duchess Cheng."
Brows raised, sly expressions flashed around the room.
"A bandit again?" they murmured, glancing toward the Duke of Chengguo exchanging light banter with the senior officials up front and the Lord Heir, merrily clinking bowls and drinking by his father's side. Their expressions grew somewhat sympathetic.
The father and son both owed their lives to bandits and were now repaying the debt by marriage. It just goes to show, being good-looking isn't always a blessing.
Still, it wasn't entirely a bad thing.
"If marrying a bandit wife gave me that kind of power, I'd gladly do it," someone muttered quietly.
"Ha! Look at your face—who'd want you?" the surrounding crowd taunted, laughter erupting on all sides.
Laughter and merriment filled the hall, the atmosphere lively and cheery.
......................
.......................
Zhu Zan woke up with a pounding headache.
He turned over, clutching the soft bedding.
"Those bastards," he muttered, "bullying me with numbers."
A cool cloth pressed against his forehead, making him shiver.
Someone—a stranger—was near him.
His eyes snapped open, only to see Miss Jun leaning over him.
"What the—what are you doing?" he barked, raising his hand to push her away.
But Miss Jun had already stepped back.
"Just checking if you were awake," she said, nodding toward the low table by the bed, where a bowl of soup sat. "Drink the medicine; it'll help with the headache."
Zhu Zan lowered his hand, eyeing her warily.
"You didn't need to do this yourself," he muttered, lifting the soup bowl. "Any servant girl could've handled it."
He took a sip, muffling his words. "And don't come into my room uninvited."
Miss Jun smiled faintly as she watched him.
"This is my room; you're in my bed," she replied.
Zhu Zan spat the soup back into the bowl, whipping his head around to survey the room.
They had been put up in the Dingzhou government office, which was lavishly decorated.
The faint scent of fragrance lingered, the furnishings were delicate and refined, and there were multicolored beads adorning the corners of the bed—playful and obviously feminine touches. This was clearly a woman's room.
Indeed, it wasn't his room.
"Why am I in your room?" he demanded, looking down at himself. He was wearing his usual undergarments.
He let out a howl.
"You..." he glared at Miss Jun, face a mix of urgency and anger. "You undressed me!"
Miss Jun rolled her eyes.
"The Prefect of Dingzhou arranged five of the best servant girls for you," she said. "Even if you were dead drunk, they could bathe and change you."
Only then did Zhu Zan cautiously lower his shielding hands.
"Why am I in your room?" he repeated.
"I don't know; they brought you here," Miss Jun replied. "Perhaps they forgot we're only betrothed. All of them were dead drunk and likely mistook us for a married couple."
A husband would naturally stay with his wife.
"I couldn't very well throw you out," Miss Jun added. "But don't worry, I didn't sleep with you."
She spat the words as if discussing something mundane, utterly unbothered by their suggestive implications, leaving Zhu Zan both astounded and indignant.
He sat cross-legged on the bed, suddenly narrowing his eyes into a cold smile.
"So that's what your plan was," he said.
Miss Jun raised an eyebrow at him.
"What now?" she asked, a hint of helplessness in her tone.
"No wonder you made me drink for my father last night," Zhu Zan accused, pointing a finger at her. "You planned this, getting me drunk to turn uncooked rice into cooked rice…"
Miss Jun, both exasperated and amused, swatted his hand away.
"Zhu Zan," she called out with irritation, "where do you come up with these ideas?!"
............….
"I'm not imagining things. In that case, explain yourself—why would you go to such lengths?" Zhu Zan asked, dropping his mocking smile and adopting a serious expression. "You've admitted that if not for my father, you wouldn't have ventured into Yizhou."
Miss Jun fell silent.
"I know the world values great righteousness, but love and hate don't come without reason," Zhu Zan continued intensely. "Why exactly do you care so much for my father and mother, risking your own life in the process?"
Miss Jun smirked.
"Because it was the right thing to do," she replied simply before turning and walking away.
Zhu Zan sprang off the bed, barefoot, chasing after her.
"Don't walk away! We need to make this clear!" he demanded, his voice rising.
Their hushed argument filled the spring morning with liveliness, noisy yet surprisingly warm.
Outside, the servant girls exchanged amused glances.
The Lord Heir and his wife seemed to get along quite well.
A talented man and a beautiful woman, harmonious and loving—they truly made a pleasing pair.
The servant girls' eyes were full of delight.
However, in the capital, Huang Cheng—sitting in his study clad in undergarments—felt no trace of worldly joy.
As the weather warmed, his coughing fits worsened, and the spring blossoms and willow fluff gave him no peace.
Another spring had arrived, and he'd aged another year. Growing older meant inching closer to death.
He didn't fear death; he simply found it frustrating that those who should die hadn't yet. It was a rather displeasing matter.
"Still alive after all this? That Duke Zhu Shan has a truly indestructible fate," he muttered with a sigh.
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A big thank you to Zhi Tailang, Nanfang's Bing Yi, Ye Sanmo Ricardo for their rewards of He's Bi.
Thanks also to Yunqi Shucheng members who sent six He's Bi, Moli's He's Bi, Fei's He's Bi, Bai Yun's He's Bi, Wulong Chuang Qingguan's He's Bi, and Qiao Qiao's He's Bi.
Thank you all, O(∩_∩)O!